The fires in Chile: the greatest catastrophe since the 2010 earthquake: "It is the entire Chile that mourns and suffers for our dead"
Chile is shocked, hit by the biggest catastrophe since the earthquake that left 521 dead and 56 missing in 2010.. It was expected that this year, with a dry and hotter summer, the fires would grow, but no one imagined what February 2024 would bring: more than 15,000 homes burned, 112 dead and more than 200 missing.
“I have declared national mourning for two days, starting tomorrow, Monday, because it is the entire Chile that mourns and suffers for our dead,” said President Gabriel Boric this Sunday, visiting the Valparaíso region, the epicenter of the fires.
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“My deepest condolences to each of the victims who have lost a loved one and also to those who have lost their homes, their memories and their belongings.”. Know that you will not be alone,” added the head of state, who described the fires as “the biggest tragedy we have experienced” in the country since the 2010 earthquakes.
Boric, who since December buried the dream of a new Constitution, adopted a “management mode” with which he tries to be seen as close and concerned about the problems of Chileans in daily life, had to reorganize his government in the middle of the holidays. summer in the southern hemisphere.
February is Chilean August, the month in which the country comes to a standstill. The Minister of Defense, Maya Fernández, granddaughter of Salvador Allende, had to return to Chile one day after starting her vacation in Brazil. The minister spokesperson, Camila Vallejo, is also on vacation.
A few days ago, Boric had given a positive assessment of the fight against the fires that hit the country every summer, especially in the central region.
“This year, in the season until January 26, 2024, we had had 2,867 fires. In the same period last year, we had 3,934. That is, this year we have had 27% fewer fires.”
Days later, that balance became useless. Carolina Tohá, Minister of the Interior, spoke openly of “intentional” fires.
“There are always rumors of this type, but this time they are serious antecedents from reliable people,” said the minister this Sunday when visiting Valparaíso.
Chile is not prepared
Michel De L'Herbe, an expert in risk prevention, told El Mercurio that Chile is not prepared to adequately fight the periodic fires that plague the country.
“We are in a context of extreme weather and we are missing fundamental aspects, such as fighting fires at night and also increasing the capacity of liters of water transported by aircraft.. Those that have a capacity of 1,100 or 1,500 liters are not enough. “At least six thousand to ten thousand liters are required.”
Luis Toledo, specialist in Civil Protection and Emergency Management, highlighted that Chile faces risks “every year on the same date.”
“The geographical configuration, with ravines, presence of vegetation and often garbage, offers the conditions for interface fires. Valparaíso was called by the native peoples as Alimapu, which means territory devastated by fire.. “The repopulation of burned and high-risk areas, together with the absence of preventive measures and the lack of construction of defensive firebreaks in the vicinity of populated areas, must be analyzed.”
Pope Francis dedicated a moment to the Chilean tragedy this Sunday, during the traditional Angelus prayer: “We pray for the dead and injured of the devastating fires that hit central Chile.”
The Chilean meteorological service assured that starting Tuesday the heat and wind conditions will no longer be extreme and will favor the fight against the multiple outbreaks of fire.