19 Mar 2018 | 11:17 AM UTC
Chile: Wildfires in Valparaíso and Santiago regions March 16 /update 3
Red alerts in place March 16 due to forest fires in Valparaíso, Quilpué, and Paine communes; lower alert for entire Valparaíso region
Event
Red wildfire alerts issued by the National Emergency Office (ONEMI) - the highest level - are in place for the communes of Valparaíso and Quilpué (Valparaíso region) as of Friday, March 16. A lower level alert remains in effect for the rest of the Valparaíso region due to the risk of new fires breaking out in the coming hours and days (with with the exception of Juan Fernández commune and Easter Island). Additionally, a red alert has also been issued for Paine commune, located in the Santiago Metropolitan Area.
Context
Forest fires are relatively 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 area are advised to keep abreast of the situation and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.
