Daily Times

SANTIAGO: The Chilean government said on Thursday that intense forest fires in central Chile had killed 10 people and displaced thousands of people while destroying entire villages.

Multiple blazes fueled by strong wind and drought conditions have ravaged 273,000 hectares (680,000 acres) in just over a week in the South American country.

The regional government said that the latest fatality was a fireman killed when a tree fell on his truck in the Biobio region 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of the capital Santiago.

So far five firefighters, two policemen and three local residents have been killed while battling the blazes.

Panicked locals have been joining in efforts to tackle the fire to save their homes, animals and farmland.

President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday had ordered extra funds to fight what she referred to as the country´s worst-ever forest fires.

The Chilean National Emergency Office said that at least 4,000 people were evacuated earlier this week.

More than 4,000 emergency workers are currently battling the blaze, with the help of water-dumping aircraft.

More hot and windy weather has been forecasted in the country which has raised fears that the fires would continue to spread.

The fires have struck mainly in sparsely populated rural areas in the central regions of O´Higgins and El Maule.

Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz said the United States, Canada and various other countries have offered help to Chile to fight the intense fires.

Fires are common in Chile´s parched woods during the southern hemisphere´s summer. Most of these fires are the result of human activity.

This year the fires were worse due to a drought attributed by environmentalists to climate change.