A state of emergency has been introduced in the central and southern parts of Chile, where the fires are raging.
In addition to the almost 112 dead, over 300 people are missing in the fires, says President Gabriel Boric.
Monday morning Norwegian time, 40 places are still burning.
– The most important thing now is to save lives and put out the fires, he said.
Ordinary people contribute to the extinguishing work with what they have.
Photo: JAVIER TORRES / AFP
Thousands of houses have been burned down, and the fires are spreading quickly. The authorities say the extinguishing work is difficult due to high summer heat and unusual drought.
According to Interior Minister Carolina Toha, the fires that have raged this weekend are without a doubt the fires that have claimed the most lives in Chile’s history.
People have to be cooled while the fires in Chile are raging and there is a heat wave in large parts of South America.
Photo: Esteban Felix / AP
Asking people to evacuate
Chilean authorities have registered 159 brammars. It is worst in the Valparaíso region where thousands of people have been evacuated.
The president is also urging people in other affected areas to get away from the flames.
– Do not hesitate if they are asked to evacuate. The fires spread quickly, and the climate makes it difficult to control them, he said on Saturday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms to NRK that Norwegians are among those who have been evacuated from the flames, but will not say anything about how many there are.
But to NTB, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that they are working to map how many Norwegians are in the area.
They have also updated the travel information on their website. Tourists are asked to stay away from the forest fire affected areas.
The forest fires have caused extensive material damage. Among other things, thousands of houses have burned down.
Photo: RODRIGO ARANGUA / AFP
Forest fires also in Argentina
The fires are fueled by a heat wave and drought affecting the southern part of South America.
The reason for the unusually hot and dry weather is the El Niño phenomenon. Researchers have warned that global warming increases the risk of natural disasters such as intense heat and fires.
Tourists look at the forest fire that has hit the Los Alerces National Park in Argentina since the end of January.
Photo: MARTIN LEVICOY / AFP
The heat has also led to forest fires in Argentina. 3,000 hectares have been burned in the Los Alerces National Park, known for its biological diversity, since 25 January.