Deadly blazes in central Chile leave scenes of devastation

Knowledge

Forest fires ravaged central Chile, leaving more than 100 people dead, scores more reported missing and thousands of homes destroyed.

The fires began Friday on the mountainous eastern edge of Viña del Mar, a beach resort known for a festival that attracts the best in Latin music.

Officials have suggested that some of the wildfires around the city could have been intentionally provoked. But President Gabriel Boric said that dry weather, strong winds and low humidity helped the fires spread faster.

The fires came came amid a heat wave that pushed temperatures in the capital city of Santiago to about 37 degrees Celsius (nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit). Extreme heat bakes moisture from wood, turning it into ideal fuel.

Volunteers in central Chile worked to remove charred metal, broken glass and other debris from neighborhoods devastated by the fires over several days.

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Plumes of smoke rise into the sky as a helicopter flies over a forest fire that spread to Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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Residents embrace each other after a forest fire reached their neighborhood, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/ Esteban Felix)

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Homes are left in ruins after forest fires blazed through the El Olivar neighborhood in Vina del Mar, Chile, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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Firefighters take a break from fighting a forest fire in Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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Aminta Guerra stands inside her home that was destroyed by a forest fire, in the El Olivar neighborhood of Vina del Mar, Chile, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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A resident cleans up ashes and debris from a home burned down by a forest fire, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Cristobal Basaure)

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A resident peers from the tent he camped in overnight on the plot where his home stood before it was burned to the ground by a forest fire, in the Villa Independencia neighborhood of Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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A man works on what is left of the Cristo Esperanza Viva church damaged by a forest fire, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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Chilean Navy personnel walk past overturned, charred cars as they deploy to help aid the Villa Independencia neighborhood after a forest fire reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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A glass niche holds a statue of Pope John Paul II amid the charred debris left by a forest fire that reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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Patricio Monsalvez heals his dog Muller’s burnt paw, with the help of volunteers, next to a home that was burned to the ground by a forest fire that reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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The sun sets as smoke fills the sky during a the forest fire encroaching on Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 1 of 12 | 

Plumes of smoke rise into the sky as a helicopter flies over a forest fire that spread to Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

1 of 12

Plumes of smoke rise into the sky as a helicopter flies over a forest fire that spread to Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 2 of 12 | 

Residents embrace each other after a forest fire reached their neighborhood, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/ Esteban Felix)

Read More

2 of 12

Residents embrace each other after a forest fire reached their neighborhood, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/ Esteban Felix)

Read More 3 of 12 | 

Homes are left in ruins after forest fires blazed through the El Olivar neighborhood in Vina del Mar, Chile, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

3 of 12

Homes are left in ruins after forest fires blazed through the El Olivar neighborhood in Vina del Mar, Chile, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 4 of 12 | 

Firefighters take a break from fighting a forest fire in Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

4 of 12

Firefighters take a break from fighting a forest fire in Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 5 of 12 | 

Aminta Guerra stands inside her home that was destroyed by a forest fire, in the El Olivar neighborhood of Vina del Mar, Chile, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

5 of 12

Aminta Guerra stands inside her home that was destroyed by a forest fire, in the El Olivar neighborhood of Vina del Mar, Chile, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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A resident cleans up ashes and debris from a home burned down by a forest fire, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Cristobal Basaure)

Read More

6 of 12

A resident cleans up ashes and debris from a home burned down by a forest fire, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Cristobal Basaure)

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A resident peers from the tent he camped in overnight on the plot where his home stood before it was burned to the ground by a forest fire, in the Villa Independencia neighborhood of Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

7 of 12

A resident peers from the tent he camped in overnight on the plot where his home stood before it was burned to the ground by a forest fire, in the Villa Independencia neighborhood of Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 8 of 12 | 

A man works on what is left of the Cristo Esperanza Viva church damaged by a forest fire, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

8 of 12

A man works on what is left of the Cristo Esperanza Viva church damaged by a forest fire, in Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 9 of 12 | 

Chilean Navy personnel walk past overturned, charred cars as they deploy to help aid the Villa Independencia neighborhood after a forest fire reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

9 of 12

Chilean Navy personnel walk past overturned, charred cars as they deploy to help aid the Villa Independencia neighborhood after a forest fire reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 10 of 12 | 

A glass niche holds a statue of Pope John Paul II amid the charred debris left by a forest fire that reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

10 of 12

A glass niche holds a statue of Pope John Paul II amid the charred debris left by a forest fire that reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 11 of 12 | 

Patricio Monsalvez heals his dog Muller’s burnt paw, with the help of volunteers, next to a home that was burned to the ground by a forest fire that reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

11 of 12

Patricio Monsalvez heals his dog Muller’s burnt paw, with the help of volunteers, next to a home that was burned to the ground by a forest fire that reached Vina del Mar, Chile, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More 12 of 12 | 

The sun sets as smoke fills the sky during a the forest fire encroaching on Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

12 of 12

The sun sets as smoke fills the sky during a the forest fire encroaching on Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Read More

Residents returned to their homes on Monday to search through the debris. Many have said they prefer to sleep near their homes in order to prevent looters from taking what is left of their possessions, or from claiming the land their homes were built on.

According to authorities, who have been questioned for failures in the evacuation alert system, the fires are contained but not completely controlled.

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