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Original article: Alerta Roja en Ñuble, Biobío y Araucanía por incendios forestales y decenas de llamados SAE para evacuar   

Red Alert: Simultaneous Fires in Ñuble and Biobío Municipalities

A severe and widespread series of wildfires has been affecting the regions of Ñuble, Biobío, and La Araucanía since the night of Saturday, January 17, forcing evacuations across numerous neighborhoods, destroying homes, and prompting authorities to declare a Red Alert in several municipalities.

The scale of the emergency is significant, with over 18 active wildfires reported in Ñuble and Biobío alone, leading to a formal request for a Regional State of Emergency for Ñuble, as announced by El Carmen’s mayor, Renán Cabezas, who is also the president of the Laja Diguillín Municipal Association.

The National Emergency Office (SENAPRED) has been issuing continuous and detailed evacuation alerts through its Emergency Alert System (SAE). Between 10:01 PM and 12:16 AM, evacuation calls were made for areas in the municipalities of Concepción (Puente 1, Lotato), Tomé (San José), Hualqui (Pichaco), Quillón (El Casino, El Ciénago), Ránquil (El Galpón, Rahuil Bajo), and Penco (Villa Rica, Villa Alegre, Lord Cochrane, Villa Italia, Villa Renacer, Vipla). The agency emphasizes the importance of remaining calm, following official guidelines, and remembering pets during evacuations.

See SENAPRED, CONAF, and Interior Subsecretary’s Report

In Ñuble Region, the situation is particularly critical. Mayor Renán Cabezas informed local media that there are at least 13 fires being fought simultaneously in municipalities such as El Carmen, Pinto, San Ignacio, Quillón, Coihueco, Ránquil, and San Nicolás, where homes have already been destroyed. “We find it prudent for the Regional Presidential Delegate of Ñuble to consider declaring a Regional Emergency,” said Cabezas, according to a report from La Discusión, highlighting the need for a coordinated and rapid response to the scale of the disasters and the high risk to the population.

Meanwhile, SENAPRED has extended the Red Alert for wildfires to the municipalities of Concepción and Penco in Biobío, as well as Lumaco in La Araucanía. Additionally, a Red Alert for extreme heat has been issued for the entire La Araucanía Region, a climatic factor that further increases the risk of new fires igniting and spreading. This combination of intense heat and multiple active fires creates an extremely dangerous scenario.

The crisis has sharply manifested in the Puente 1 sector, along the way to Florida in Concepción, where flames have reached homes, resulting in confirmed material losses. Preliminary reports indicate that evacuation alerts issued across Ñuble and Biobío regions exceed thirty, affecting a vast and diverse geography that ranges from peri-urban areas to rural zones, overwhelming the response capacity of firefighters, CONAF, and other emergency agencies.

View Overview of Fires in Biobío and Greater Concepción (SUMMARY / Penco Noticias)

In light of this situation, authorities are unanimously and urgently calling on the public to stay informed through official channels, prepare an emergency kit, establish family evacuation plans, and promptly comply with any preventive or mandatory displacement orders issued by SENAPRED. The absolute priority is to preserve human life.

As firefighting teams work on multiple fronts, the evolution of weather conditions, particularly the high temperatures and wind, will be decisive in the coming hours.

75% of Wildfires Are Preventable

The Interior Subsecretary, Víctor Ramos, and the Executive Director of CONAF, Rodrigo Illesca, have called for civic responsibility in preventing wildfires. According to CONAF data, of the 2,619 fires recorded during the current period, 75% were due to negligent actions that could have been avoided.

“More than 1,000 fires could have been prevented just this season,” said Subsecretary Ramos, adding that the Analysis and Diagnosis Unit of CONAF has identified these events and reported them to the authorities and police to initiate proceedings against those responsible for causing these wildfires due to negligence.

The executive director of CONAF, Rodrigo Illesca, specified that most of these wildfires were caused by the use of tools that generate sparks (such as grinders, lathes, and welders) and by open-air burning of waste. “Just a single spark can ignite a fire that may lead to loss of life, infrastructure, and natural resources,” he emphasized.

Authorities recalled specific cases from the 2024-2025 season in the provinces of Melipilla and Cauquenes, where agricultural activities and work with tractors sparked fires that burned hundreds or thousands of hectares and forced the evacuation of homes. “Those responsible for these fires are being held accountable before the law,” warned Ramos.

Preventive Campaign

La entrada Red Alert in Ñuble, Biobío, and Araucanía Due to Wildfires and Evacuation Orders se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.