Chile faces its worst environmental disaster this year as raging forest fires claim 18 lives and force 50,000 evacuations. President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe Sunday, deploying military forces to combat 24 active blazes that have already torched 8,500 hectares – equivalent to 12,000 soccer fields ⚽🔥.
"The flames moved like a Netflix binge – sudden and unstoppable," said Biobío resident María Fernández, describing how fires trapped families after midnight. Charred remains have been found in vehicles and fields, with Concepcion reporting 253 homes reduced to ash.
Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde warned the death toll could rise as crews access remote areas. Climate scientists note the fires follow 2026's record-breaking heatwaves, highlighting global warming's ⚡accelerating impact on South America.
