The Chilean government decreed state disaster in three regions following forest fires

The Chilean government decreed on Tuesday the state of disaster in three southern regions of the country where there are 630 fires. who destroyed 9,300 hectares, informed Rodrigo Ubilla, under-secretary of the Interior.

The measure was pbaded for the regions of Maule, Biobío and La Araucanía because of the "significant increase" of claims in areas where 630 destroyed areas have already been destroyed, Ubilla Ubilla said during a meeting. press conference.

This exception decree aims to appoint a national official responsible for "coordinating all preventive actions" with state bodies such as the police and the armed forces, which must control public order in the affected areas, explained the authority.

"The government must have all its resources to ensure peace of mind and be able to alleviate these circumstances. which are so unfavorable. Based on this is that he decreed "the state of disaster," said Ubilla.

Tuesday, More than a dozen forest fires have been active since the weekend in the Araucanian regionin southern Chile, where some 125 people were damaged and more than 7,000 hectares were destroyed by the flames, authorities reported Tuesday.

The high temperatures of the austral summer, which exceed 30 degrees, have contributed to 16 fires remain active in the region of Araucania (680 km south of Santiago) and about fifty houses burned, informed by cons Jorge Atton, Governor of the region.

"The weather has improved and it helps us fight fires"Atton told the press.

The Chilean government maintains red alert on the areas affected by the fire, where about 30 planes and about twenty forest firefighters fight the flames that the weekend cost the lives of two seniors, the two victims who left the requests that the authorities consider intentionally provoked.

If in the south the fire caused havoc, Northern Chile was hit by intense rains in the Cordillera regions, which caused overflowing rivers and floods in the Atacama Desert., the driest in the world, mainly affects the tourist town of San Pedro y Calama, a major mining town where a yellow alert applies.

Further north, in the region of Arica and Parinacota, the flooding of several rivers has caused floods cutting important roads, including the one that connects the city of Arica – the northernmost of Chile – to the rest of the country., while at least five rural villages are isolated. The authorities estimate that the rains will continue during this week.