Chile: Helicopters douse fire that destroyed 200 homes in Valparaiso

Helicopters were deployed to contain the fire that ravaged the Chilean port city of Valparaiso on Wednesday, December 25. According to local media reports, more than 200 homes were destroyed by the fire that originated in the hills of Rocuant and San Roque on Christmas Eve. Helicopters dropped thousands of gallons of water on the outskirts of the city. Dozens of families living in the poor neighbourhoods were left homeless on Christmas Day.

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Valparaiso engulfed in forest fire

Nearly 445 acres of grasslands were destroyed by the fire while a state of emergency had been declared in the city. Chilean Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker said that the fire department is still struggling to contain the blaze. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera also expressed his grief on Twitter as he said that he deeply regrets the incident  which destroyed so many homes and affected so many families, especially on Christmas Day. 

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According to Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel, authorities have acquired evidence that indicates the fire was started deliberately. A video posted on social media shows a car parked in the hills where the blaze first started. Local residents also reported that they had seen a car next to the place where the fire is believed to have started. An investigation has been launched by the authorities to find out the cause of the fire. 

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President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera expressed his grief on social media as he wrote that he regrets the incident affected so many families on an auspicious day like Christmas. President has pledged to help all the victims affected by the fire. The inferno was so massive that the Valparaiso Fire Department had to seek help from neighbouring firefighting units to contain the fire. In 2017, the central Chilean town of Santa Olga was ravaged by wildfires. 

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