Great Fire of Valparaíso
| Great Fire of Valparaíso Gran Incendio de Valparaíso |
|
|---|---|
| Location | Camino La Pólvora, Valparaíso, Chile |
| Statistics | |
| Date(s) | 12–16 April 2014 |
| Burned area | 800 hectares (3.089 sq mi; 800.0 ha) |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Land use | Vegetation, housing, informal landfill |
| Buildings destroyed |
At least 2,500 |
| Fatalities | 15 |
| Injuries | 10 serious, 500 slight |
| Motive | Unknown |
The Great Fire of Valparaíso (Spanish: Gran Incendio de Valparaíso) started on 12 April 2014 at 16:40 local time (19:40 UTC), in the hills of the city of Valparaíso, Chile. The fire destroyed at least 2,500 homes, leaving 11,000 people homeless. An additional 6,000 people were evacuated from the city, which was placed on red alert and declared a disaster zone. Fifteen people were confirmed killed and ten suffered serious injuries.
An investigation by the Chilean police is taking place to determine the origin of the Valparaíso wildfire. The police believes that it may have originated south of the Camino La Pólvora area, and southwest of Parque del Puerto cemetery. ONEMI officials have reported "there is no doubt the fire was started by the intervention of third parties".
It is also thought that contact by birds on an electrical transmission cable may have generated the initial spark for the wildfire, but an investigation by electricity provider company Chilquinta stated that the incineration of black vultures or any other birds was unlikely to have started the fire.
The wildfire started on the afternoon of 12 April at 16:40 local time (19:40 UTC) in the Camino La Pólvora area near the El Molle dump in the commune of Valparaíso. As an initial measure, the Regional Government of Valparaíso (Intendencia de Valparaíso), along with the ONEMI (Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior) and the CONAF (Corporación Nacional Forestal), declared red alert in the commune. The fire, however, grew uncontrolled, and affected several houses. Subsequently, the Chilean government declared Valparaíso a disaster zone, which was later expanded to a state of constitutional exception, which allowed the Chilean Army to take control of the city, with the purpose of guarding the people's safety and maintaining public order. Several areas of the city were evacuated.
During the wildfire, there were at least six general power outages in the city, which occurred between 18:00 and 01:00 local time, making it more difficult to extinguish the fire. This also made it easier for thieves to loot abandoned and damaged homes as a result of the evacuation. The fire is now regarded as the most catastrophic in the city's history. President Michelle Bachelet confirmed that "it may be the worst fire in the history of Valparaíso" and did not rule out that the number of victims and the damage estimate could increase as the ruins are inspected to determine the number of destroyed houses. She also sent "a message of support to all those hundreds of families who lost their homes, their things, and in some cases, their loved ones". It was reported that many Valparaíso residents were suffering from smoke inhalation. the impoverished neighbourhoods of Mariposa and La Cruz hills were the most affected areas.
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