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A member of the Gonzalez family pets his dog after the family's home caught fire during wildfires in Lirquen, Chile, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026

Wildfires raging in southern Chile have killed at least 15 people and forced more than 50,000 to evacuate, the government said Sunday.

The fires have spread quickly in rural and coastal areas, forcing thousands from their homes.

Officials warn the death toll may rise as crews reach isolated areas. More than 50,000 residents have evacuated, while several hundred homes have already been destroyed.

The worst fires are in the Ñuble and Biobío regions, about 500 kilometres south of Santiago. Around twenty blazes remain active. Coastal towns near Concepción, including Penco and Lirquén, report entire neighbourhoods burned to the ground.

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