President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the affected regions, enabling military control to assist civil authorities. Nightly curfews have been imposed in critical municipalities—such as Lirquén, Penco, Nacimiento, and Laja—to restrict movement and reduce risks of arson and disorder. The Interior and Security Ministries report an ongoing complex emergency situation marked by over 87 emergency alerts issued via the national alert system (SAE). Infrastructural damage includes significant residential loss, disrupted transport arteries including highway closures around Concepción, and the evacuation of vulnerable facilities like hospitals.
Authorities have launched investigations into the fires’ origins, with preliminary hypotheses including electrical faults, negligence, or possible intentional ignition. Regional officials have warned of the coordinated alignment of multiple ignition points exacerbated by wind patterns. The governor of Biobío emphasized the severity of the current crisis surpasses even the 2010 earthquake’s impact in the area.
Cooperation between outgoing President Boric and President-elect José Antonio Kast has been initiated, focusing on emergency management and future reconstruction plans. Kast underscored that while current response rests with Boric’s government, reconstruction efforts will require swift and effective action from the incoming administration. Meanwhile, national disaster agencies and CONAF continue active monitoring and real-time mapping of fire activity to inform evacuations and firefighting strategies. The persistent extreme weather forecast poses a continued threat to containment, underscoring the need for sustained resource deployment and interagency coordination.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
