2023 Chile wildfires | |
---|---|
Date(s) | 30 January 2023–20 February 2023 |
Location | |
Statistics | |
Total fires | 407 (256 active, 151 contained as of 18 February)[1] |
Total area | 430,000 hectares (1,100,000 acres) |
Impacts | |
Deaths | 26 |
Non-fatal injuries | 2,180[2] |
Structures destroyed | 1,180+ homes destroyed[2] |
Ignition | |
Cause | Heatwaves, drought, suspected arson |
Starting on 30 January 2023, a series of wildfires began in the South American country of Chile. By early February, the fires had developed into a large outbreak of at least 406 individual fires, several dozen of which were classified as "red alert fires". The fires burned more than 430,000 hectares (1,100,000 acres) and resulted in the loss of 24 lives, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency in multiple regions of the country.