Chile: Wildfire in Santiago region May 22-23

Event

A red wildfire alert - the highest level - was issued by the National Emergency Office (ONEMI) for the commune of Curacaví (Santiago Metropolitan Region) on Tuesday, May 22. It remains in effect as of early May 23. As of 18:00 (local time) on Tuesday, the so-called Campo Lindo 11 fire had burned some 2 hectares (5 acres) of vegetation and was moving toward a populated area.

Context

Forest fires are common in Chile during the summer months. The country was devastated by a string of major forest fires in January 2017, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people, as well as the destruction of around 1500 houses and over 580,000 hectares (1.4 million acres).

Advice

Individuals in the areas are advised to keep abreast of the situation and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.