According to the National Service for Prevention and Response to Disasters (Senapred), the forest fires registered in the central-south zone of the country have left 26 dead, 1,559 homes destroyed, 3,276 homeless and 1,383 sheltered. Of the total deaths, one corresponds to the Ñuble Region, 18 to the Biobío Region and seven to the Araucanía Region.
The state entity also recorded 280 forest fires in the area. Of the total, 69 are in combat, 161 controlled, 43 under observation and two en route.
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“The Ñuble Region has suffered one of the most destructive fires in recent years,” was how the regional governor of Ñuble, Óscar Crisóstomo, described the losses caused by the flames, with active sources –at the close of this note– in 15 communes. The regional authority detailed that there are 30,000 hectares consumed in their region, more than 315 affected homes and 1,250 homeless people.
Undoubtedly, in the words of Governor Crisóstomo, a catastrophe of proportions that continues to advance, for which they have requested support from the central level, first, to declare a Regional Red Alert and then a State of Catastrophe, which “has allowed the availability of resources and effective decision-making at the regional level”.
In this sense, Óscar Crisóstomo positively valued the response they are receiving from the Central Government. “He has responded to each of the requests we have made during this emergency,” said the governor.
President Gabriel Boric -who interrupted his vacation-, and part of the cabinet, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Agriculture, the Undersecretary of the Interior and the Minister of Energy, were on the ground, mobilizing resources to stop the advance of the fire and reporting on the help available to those affected.
Thus, along with stressing the efforts of both La Moneda and the brigades that fight the fire, the governor of Ñuble said that they have also asked the forestry companies to redouble their efforts to contain the fires, “because the sum of the work between the public and private sectors will play an important role in controlling this emergency,” he declared.
Finally, Crisóstomo emphasized that the priority is to protect people’s lives and, in parallel, control all the sources in the region, to then make way for reconstruction. “We already had, together with the Minister of Economy, Nicolás Grau, the first economic cabinet with public services that will allow us to register the effects of this emergency on SMEs and the different productive sectors of Ñuble; and we will do the same by focusing strategies to recover the homes and drinking water systems, in coordination with the respective ministries,” he said.
“We are breaking the state bureaucracy”
“Families cannot wait. Along with stopping this emergency, we must be quick in the emotional, physical and material reconstruction of those who lost everything and that is what we are announcing today in Purén”, with these words, the regional governor of La Araucanía, Luciano Rivas, anticipated announcing a reconstruction plan for 60 homes in the Villa El Bosque de Purén sector, thanks to an agreement between the Regional Government and Desafío Levantemos Chile, who will each manage 50% of the resources, to remove damaged homes within six months.
“Here we are breaking the state bureaucracy. If we keep waiting, the families are going to have to wait years. We made a concrete commitment with them to build their homes before the National Holidays, and we are going to work side by side with the municipality to make the pertinent cadastres, regularize the land, and everything that needs to be done to speed up these processes, which regularly take time. Here we are delivering quick and definitive solutions, not emergencies,” said Governor Rivas.
“This announcement is an immense happiness for us. This is what is needed, a union of individuals, the Government, all the people are in need now. Let’s not expect bureaucracy or paperwork, we need concrete solutions and God willing we will all be dancing cueca for Fiestas Patrias, we are very grateful for helping us get out of this hell we are living through,” said Viviana Riffo, president of the Villa El Bosque Neighborhood Council.
The regional governor also explained that, in parallel, they will work with the municipality of Purén, led by Mayor Jorge Rivera, in all the legal procedures to register families, prepare the land and clear all administrative issues that allow progress and comply with the deadlines.
Presidential Delegate: prevent, but also persecute
The regional presidential delegate of La Araucanía, José Montalva, announced the result of the coordination between the different State institutions to combat the forest fires that currently affect La Araucanía, this after the Police Committee on Monday, which was focused in the regional emergency.
“Today’s Police Committee emphasized preventive work and the persecution of those who cause forest fires. We have been with the Carabineros, the surrogate general director of the Carabineros, the head of the National Defense, Investigative Police, Public Ministry, with the Minister of Social Development, Giorgio Jackson, as liaison with the Government”, he explained.
The presidential delegate pointed out that it is very important to efficiently attend to the emergency, especially in terms of security and control in the region, “to prevent careless and unscrupulous people from generating these forest fires.” Under this slogan, Montalva announced that “we are going to prevent (the fires) and also prosecute (the responsibilities). And that is why the presence of the Public Ministry is so important, because that inhibits people from being available to do and generate acts that could generate forest fires”.
The regional authority mentioned that the work of blocking the route will also be continued and reinforced, in a preventive manner and with mixed patrols carried out by both the Army and the Carabineros. He also reported that the head of National Defense, Rubén Castillo, using his powers and powers, has determined to carry out inspections of gasoline pumps.
“Certain requirements will be requested for the sale of fuels,” which was detailed by Castillo, who added that “restrictions were established, such as the identification requirement of the person buying and the vehicle license plate.”
Likewise, delegate Montalva commented that links will be generated with the seremis that will be in the communes to expedite and better coordinate with municipalities.
Finally, he made a call to the community to file complaints with as much information as possible, which allows for better and faster monitoring and combat of the accident, as well as identifying responsibilities. “We ask the public to help us make the complaints, to make the complaints in as much detail as possible,” she emphasized.
