A fleet of at least 122 firefighting planes and helicopters has been engaged for a week in Chile in extinguishing a large number of fires that have broken out in various parts of the country. According to reports, 180 fires are currently under control. Hundreds of vehicles and thousands of operators from the fire brigade, forestry, military personnel and volunteers are in action. Over 20 people died.

"The massive deployment of aircraft at this time had not reached such levels previously. It is a full availability by various bodies and institutions that has not been there on other occasions: a total of 122 aircraft nationwide, which today are dedicated to extinguishing fires in the country", Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said in a press conference.

Among the aircraft employed there is also a Boeing Ten Tanker capable of transporting 35,000 liters of water. However, the aircraft has currently been grounded for about three days due to a failure in a valve that regulates the pressure of the engine used to collect and expel the water. The government of Chile has decreed a state of catastrophe in three regions: Nuble, Biobío and La Araucanía.

These are the data on fires provided in the last few hours by the Disaster Risk Committee (Cogrid) of the Minister of the Interior and communicated by the Secretary of State: 311 fires nationwide, of which 180 under control and 84 active. At least 1180 houses destroyed, 889 people evacuated out of a total of 5569 citizens affected by the hardships.