At Least 46 Reported Dead in Chile as Forest Fires Move into Densely Populated Central Areas

People fight the fire in the Las Palmas area during the forest fires affecting Vina del Mar, Valparaiso region, Chile, 03 February 2024. (EPA)
People fight the fire in the Las Palmas area during the forest fires affecting Vina del Mar, Valparaiso region, Chile, 03 February 2024. (EPA)
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At Least 46 Reported Dead in Chile as Forest Fires Move into Densely Populated Central Areas

People fight the fire in the Las Palmas area during the forest fires affecting Vina del Mar, Valparaiso region, Chile, 03 February 2024. (EPA)
People fight the fire in the Las Palmas area during the forest fires affecting Vina del Mar, Valparaiso region, Chile, 03 February 2024. (EPA)

Intense forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have caused at least 46 deaths, Chile's president said Saturday evening, and officials said at least 1,100 homes had been destroyed.

In a nationally televised address, President Gabriel Boric warned that the death toll could worsen as four large fires burn in the region of Valparaiso, where firefighters have struggled to reach the most threatened neighborhoods.

Boric urged Chileans to cooperate with rescue workers.

“If you are told to evacuate don't hesitate to do it,” he said. “The fires are advancing fast and climatic conditions have made them difficult to control. There are high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity.”

Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said earlier Saturday that 92 forest fires were burning in the center and south of the country, where temperatures have been unusually high this week.

The deadliest of the fires were in the Valparaíso region, where authorities urged thousands of people to evacuate their homes.

Meanwhile, residents in areas farther away from the fires were told to stay at home so that fire engines, ambulances and other emergency vehicles can get about on the roads with greater ease.

Tohá said two fires near the towns of Quilpué and Villa Alemana had burned through at least 8,000 hectares (19,770 acres) since Friday. One of the fires was threatening the coastal resort town of Viña del Mar, where some neighborhoods had already been hit hard.

In Villa Independencia, a hillside neighborhood on the eastern edge of the town, several blocks of homes and businesses were destroyed. Burned cars with broken windows lined the streets, which were covered in ash.

“I've been here 32 years, and never imagined this would happen,” said Rolando Fernández, one of the residents who lost his home.

He said he first saw the fire burning on a nearby hill Friday afternoon and within 15 minutes the area was engulfed in flames and smoke, forcing everyone to run for their lives.

“I've worked my whole life, and now I'm left with nothing,” Fernández said.

Three shelters were set up in the Valparaíso region, and 19 helicopters and more than 450 firefighters were brought into the area to help battle the blazes, Tohá said.

The fires were burning on mountains that are hard to reach, such as neighborhoods built precariously on the edge of Viña del Mar.

Officials reported power blackouts as a result of the fire, and Tohá said that in the Valparaíso region, four hospitals and three nursing homes for the elderly had to be evacuated. The fire also destroyed two bus terminals, the interior minister said.

The El Niño weather pattern has caused droughts and hotter-than-usual temperatures along the west of South America this year, increasing the risk of forest fires. In January, more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of forests were destroyed in Colombia by fires that followed several weeks of dry weather.



Israeli Embassy in London Reportedly Targeted by Iranian Network  

Forensic officers from the British police during the arrest of an Iranian man at a house in the town of Rochdale near Manchester on Sunday. (Getty Images) 
Forensic officers from the British police during the arrest of an Iranian man at a house in the town of Rochdale near Manchester on Sunday. (Getty Images) 
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Israeli Embassy in London Reportedly Targeted by Iranian Network  

Forensic officers from the British police during the arrest of an Iranian man at a house in the town of Rochdale near Manchester on Sunday. (Getty Images) 
Forensic officers from the British police during the arrest of an Iranian man at a house in the town of Rochdale near Manchester on Sunday. (Getty Images) 

Recent reports suggest that the Israeli embassy in London was the intended target of a complex plot orchestrated by a multi-layered Iranian network. This development comes days after British authorities arrested five Iranian men on suspicion of planning a terrorist act.

While the Metropolitan Police have not publicly confirmed the embassy in Kensington, West London, as the target, reports from The Times and the BBC describe the intelligence as highly credible.

The arrests are part of what UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has described as “the most significant counter-state terrorism operation in recent years.”

Among those detained, two men were tracked in southwest London as part of separate investigations, though police believe both may be connected to a broader coordinated plan. The suspects—aged 24, 29 (two men), 40, and 46—were arrested in connection with an alleged plot to attack a specific facility. Four remain in custody under terrorism laws, while the fifth was released on bail and is expected to return for further questioning in May 2025.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis told Parliament that hundreds of officers are involved in the investigation across multiple locations, pointing to the operation’s scale and the suspected existence of a larger network. “These arrests reflect some of the most serious threats we’ve faced recently involving foreign state actors,” he said.

Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, confirmed the investigation is progressing rapidly. However, he cited legal constraints that prevent disclosure of additional details at this stage.

Police have conducted searches in Greater Manchester, London, and Swindon as part of the ongoing probe.

Security officials have warned of growing threats tied to Iran, particularly as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalate.

In October 2024, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned that Iran could launch attacks on UK soil if it believes British support for Israel makes it a party to the regional conflict. Since January 2022, authorities have reportedly disrupted over 20 Tehran-linked plots targeting dissidents and media organizations in the UK.

In response to the allegations, Iran strongly denied any involvement and took the unusual step of offering assistance in the investigation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi categorically rejected claims of Iranian complicity, stating that no official communication had been received through diplomatic channels.

In a post on X, he said Iran is “willing to cooperate” in uncovering the truth and called on the UK to ensure due legal process for the detained individuals.

He also warned of the possibility that third parties may be attempting to sabotage diplomatic efforts and escalate tensions by staging false-flag operations. “There is a history of actors trying to undermine diplomacy through disruptive means,” Araghchi remarked.