Massive fire destroys 120 homes in Chile on Christmas Eve
- Valparaiso mayor says there is reason to believe blaze was set intentionally
- Helicopters doused affected areas, and two schools were turned into shelters for fleeing residents
A forest fire consumed the outskirts of a coastal Chilean city on Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes.
Firefighters struggled to control the rapidly spreading blaze, prompting an evacuation order in Valparaiso, a port city northwest of Santiago.
Although the source of the Christmas Eve fire has not been determined, Valparaiso Mayor Jorge Sharp told local news outlets Wednesday that there was reason to believe it had been set intentionally.
As of Wednesday, the fire, which was worsened by strong winds, consumed more than 120 homes in the popular tourist town, known for its vividly coloured wooden houses. There were no reports of casualties.
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“We have decided to decree a communal emergency which will facilitate debris removal and reconstruction,” Sharp said in a tweet early on Wednesday.
“In addition, we will file a complaint against those who are responsible for the obvious intentionality of this fire,” he added.
The effort to extinguish the fire continued through the morning. Helicopters doused the affected areas, and two schools were turned into shelters for residents who fled the fire.
Chile has recently been battling the most severe drought in decades. In September, the country declared water shortages in more than 50 communities across three regions.
President Sebastián Piñera said in a statement posted on Twitter that emergency responders were fighting “tirelessly” to control the blaze in Valparaiso, one of the country’s largest cities and a major Pacific port.
“We deeply regret the fire that affects so many families in the hills of Valparaíso and especially on Christmas Eve,” he said.
