Mirtza Aguilera, right, and her daughter embrace in front of their home burned by wildfires in Tome, Chile, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
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Firefighters in Chile are battling forest fires that started on Sunday, killing at least 19 people and leaving around 1,500 homeless. Five large wildfires remain active Monday in the center and south of the country. Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the central Biobio and Ñuble regions on Sunday. This allows greater coordination with the military to control the fires. Wildfires are common in Chile during the summer due to high temperatures and dry weather. This outbreak is one of the deadliest in recent years.