Chilean President Gabriel Boric has announced a state of emergency in two southern regions.
Published On 18 Jan 2026
Two dozen active forest fires are tearing across southern Chile, forcing more than 50,000 people to flee their homes and killing at least 18 people, authorities have said.
President Gabriel Boric said Sunday that the 18 deaths were confirmed, “but we are certain that this number will rise”. The president also imposed a new nighttime curfew in the hardest-hit areas.
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Security Minister Luis Cordero previously told reporters at a press conference that 16 deaths had been confirmed in the Biobio and Nuble regions.
Biobio and Nuble – central-southern regions located about 500km (300 mi) south of the capital, Santiago – have faced the blazes’ worst effects.
Boric declared a state of emergency in both regions earlier on Sunday, writing on X that “all resources are available” to contain the fires. The declaration allowed Chile’s armed forces to start pitching in.
The majority of the evacuations have taken place in the cities