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Valparaíso wildfire: Raging forest fires engulf Chilean city Valparaíso fires: Dozens of homes destroyed in Chilean city
(about 2 hours later)
At least 120 houses have been destroyed by fast moving forest fires in the Chilean city of Valparaíso, prompting a mass evacuation, officials say.At least 120 houses have been destroyed by fast moving forest fires in the Chilean city of Valparaíso, prompting a mass evacuation, officials say.
All the city's firefighters have been deployed to tackle the fires in the Rocuant and San Roque areas. The fires affected the Rocuant and San Roque hills and spread to two poor residential areas. All the city's firefighters have been deployed.
Power was cut to about 90,000 customers in the area as a precautionary measure. Mayor Jorge Sharp said the fires had been started "intentionally". There have been no reports of any casualties.
Valparaíso Mayor Jorge Sharp told Canal 24 Horas that the fires had been started "intentionally". There have been no reports of any casualties. Strong winds and high temperatures were exacerbating the situation.
"At the moment, emergency teams from all over Valparaíso are working, using land and air resources, in two areas in the higher part of the city," the mayor said. Power was cut to about 90,000 customers in the area as a precautionary measure. Two schools were turned into shelters for the affected residents, who were forced to flee in the middle of Christmas Eve celebrations.
The mayor added that strong winds and high temperatures were exacerbating the situation. Valparaíso is one of Chile's largest cities and a major port on the Pacific. Mr Sharp said a state of emergency had been declared in the city, some 100km (62 miles) from the capital, Santiago, and that it was "obvious" that the fires had been lit deliberately.
Chilean Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker later arrived in the area. He admitted that the firefighters were struggling to contain the fires. A video posted on social media showed a car next to where one of the fires started. Prosecutors were investigating the footage as well as reports from residents that cars were seen in the hills affected moments before the blazes began, Emol website reports.
Chilean Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker visited the areas and admitted that the firefighters were struggling to contain the fires.
Nearly 120 hectares (445 acres) of grassland have already been ravaged by the fires.Nearly 120 hectares (445 acres) of grassland have already been ravaged by the fires.
Valparaíso, in central Chile, is a popular tourist destination in South America. On Twitter, President Sebastián Piñera said: "We deeply regret the fire that affects so many families in the hills of Valparaíso and especially on Christmas Eve."
Are forest fires worse than in previous years? Valparaíso, in central Chile, is one of country's largest cities and a major port on the Pacific. It is also a popular tourist destination in South America.
Wildfires have been burning in many parts of the world this year, including Brazil, Indonesia and the Arctic. In 2017, the central town of Santa Olga was destroyed by wildfires.
In Australia, nine people have been killed and hundreds of homes have been destroyed by bushfires since September. The scale of the fires there and elsewhere has raised questions as to whether the fires can be linked to climate change.
The science around climate change is complex - it's not the cause of bushfires but scientists have long warned that a hotter, drier climate would contribute to fires becoming more frequent and more intense.