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Wildfires race across Chile, leaving 18 dead and forcing thousands to flee

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by By  JAVIER TORRESJanuary 18, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Wildfires race across Chile, leaving 18 dead and forcing thousands to flee
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AI Summary

long article 4 min

Wildfires swept through central and southern Chile on Sunday, January 18, 2026, resulting in at least 18 deaths and forcing thousands to flee. The fires have scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes, particularly in the Biobio and Ñuble regions, located approximately 300 miles south of Santiago. The country is experiencing a heat wave, exacerbating the situation. Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the affected regions, enabling increased resources and aid to combat the emergency. Firefighters are battling the blazes as families are displaced and homes are lost in the affected areas, including Lirquen.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context
AP News ×530% Santiago 50% Gonzalez family ×250% Gabriel Boric 60% Biobio region 70% Ñuble region 70% Lirquen ×670% Wildfires ×880% Chile ×990%

Keywords

wildfires 100% chile 90% deaths 70% evacuation 60% heat wave 60% destroyed homes 50% ñuble region 50% state of catastrophe 50% biobio region 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative
Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source
Associated Press (AP)
Political Lean
Center (0.00)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%
Geographic Perspective
Chile

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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wildfireschiledeathsevacuationheat wavedestroyed homesñuble regionstate of catastrophebiobio region
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