Chile declares ‘state of catastrophe’ as wildfires kill at least 18

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesJanuary 19, 2026 at 08:56 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the southern regions of Ñuble and Biobío on Sunday, January 19, 2026, due to raging wildfires. The fires have forced over 50,000 people to evacuate and have killed at least 18. Firefighters are battling 24 active fires across the country, with the largest concentrated in the affected regions, located approximately 500km south of Santiago. Nearly 8,500 hectares have been consumed by the fires, exacerbated by strong winds and high temperatures reaching 38C (100F). The declaration allows for the allocation of all available resources to combat the blazes, which have been increasingly severe in recent years due to climate change impacts.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Vina del Mar 30% Lirquen 40% CONAF 50% Santiago ×360% Biobío ×470% Ñuble ×270% Gabriel Boric ×280% Chile ×690%

Keywords

wildfires 100% state of catastrophe 90% evacuation 70% extreme heat 60% climate change 60% emergency 50% forestry agency 40% high temperatures 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

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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wildfires state of catastrophe evacuation extreme heat climate change emergency forestry agency high temperatures

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