Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde confirmed on Sunday that the authorities have ordered the evacuation of approximately 500,000 residents, as the uncontrolled element has already destroyed more than 250 homes and engulfed more than 100 square kilometers of forest cover.
Two people have lost their lives as a result of massive forest fires in central Chile. Approximately 500,000 residents of the Biobío and Nuble regions were called to evacuate to safety, said the local Minister of the Interior, Álvaro Elizalde. TASR informs about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
The fire has already destroyed more than 100 square kilometers of forest
Hundreds of firefighters and soldiers battled 24 fires in the affected areas.
The Chilean government has declared a state of disaster for the affected regions. The fire there has so far destroyed more than 250 homes and more than 100 square kilometers of forest.
Large-scale forest fires repeatedly affect Chile during the summer months in the southern hemisphere. Last year, more than 100 people lost their lives and approximately 15,000 houses were destroyed or damaged, adds DPA.
