Death toll from unprecedented series of forest fires in southern Chile rose to 24 this Saturday, authorities say the worst catastrophe in recent yearswith a total of 979 injured and a horizon with rain of ashes and uncontrollable flames.
More than 2,300 brigades of the National Forestry Corps (Conaf) continued this Sunday with the combat tasks of the voracious tongues of fire, the authorities they arrested ten people for his alleged involvement in the devastating fires. One of them was caught with a drum of fuel, it was reported.
The international community mobilized this weekend to send aid. Brigade members will arrive from Brazil and Ecuador; technicians and a small plane from Venezuela; 40 brigade members and 4 trucks from Argentina; the US embassy had economic resources; Spain committed 60 brigade personnel and 2 aircraft.
President Gabriel Boric thanked international aid and his government summoned businessmen to ask for your cooperation in the fight against the fire.
Saturday different sectors of the municipalities of the three regions that are subjected state of catastrophe, because the flames were approaching the houses with dangerous speed.
“A hell”
Juan José Ugarte, president of the Timber Corporation (Corma), described the situation as “hell, ash is raining and only flames can be seen on the horizon”. “Three days gave rise to what should happen in two years,” he said.
The leader of the trade association that brings together more than 160 forest sector players has launched a strong call to prevent more people from dying.
“There are already 162,000 hectares of burned surface. The situation is hellish, it is raining ashes and only flames can be seen on the horizon. What should happen in two years took place in three days. We ask for an urgent ceasefire, when the ‘man behind, due to negligence or intent,” he asked.
Ugarte called to use the tools that the State of Exception allows. “We have the experience of 2017 when this status was used in depth, this means curfew in the most affected municipalities, ban on the sale of fuel in drums, patrolling by the armed forces in the sectors, traffic control and only then will we be able to fulfill that first goal,” he enumerated.
“We cannot continue to have more than 100 fires a day. Capacities are at their limit and southern Chile is burning us,” he said.
Ugarte was forthright in assuring that behind the fires “there is the hand of man” and so on there must be exemplary punishment for those responsible for these incidents.
“We are compiling the files to deliver them to the Public Prosecutor. There are already detainees, video images of vandalism, recordings of vehicles setting fire to forests and testimonies from neighbors that the mayor of Santa Juana has,” he snapped.
new heat wave
According to the latest report by the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) of the Chilean Interior Ministry, there are currently 260 active fires across the country, including 51 in combat.
The regions most affected by the fire, a result of months of unprecedented drought and high temperatures, are Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía, areas of intense agricultural and forestry activity located respectively 400, 500 and 700 kilometers south of the capital.
The undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, assured that “the activity of the fires during the night was less than expected” because the temperatures have eased slightly, but warned that from Tuesday the south will face a new heat wavewith historic temperatures that can reach 40 degrees Celsius.
“76 new fires were generated on Friday, Saturday the 16th and today, right now, we have 8 new fires. Let’s hope they don’t continue to grow,” Monsalve said.
Source: ANSA
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Source: Clarin
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