* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Go-to entertainment: why gaming was made for the toilet – The Guardian

    Why Gaming Is the Ultimate Way to Pass Time in the Bathroom

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Credo Technology: Wiring The AI Revolution (NASDAQ:CRDO) – Seeking Alpha

    Credo Technology: Driving the Next Wave of AI Innovation

    Microsoft Seeks to Extend Access to OpenAI Technology – PYMNTS.com

    Microsoft Aims to Broaden Access to OpenAI Technology

    Livonia police use grappler technology to stop drunk driver – ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

    Livonia Police Deploy Grappler Technology to Safely Stop Drunk Driver

    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Go-to entertainment: why gaming was made for the toilet – The Guardian

    Why Gaming Is the Ultimate Way to Pass Time in the Bathroom

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Credo Technology: Wiring The AI Revolution (NASDAQ:CRDO) – Seeking Alpha

    Credo Technology: Driving the Next Wave of AI Innovation

    Microsoft Seeks to Extend Access to OpenAI Technology – PYMNTS.com

    Microsoft Aims to Broaden Access to OpenAI Technology

    Livonia police use grappler technology to stop drunk driver – ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

    Livonia Police Deploy Grappler Technology to Safely Stop Drunk Driver

    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Chile’s deadly wildfires wiped out neighborhoods. One stood unscathed.

February 10, 2024
in News
Chile’s deadly wildfires wiped out neighborhoods. One stood unscathed.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

QUILPUÉ, Chile — Heading up the hill, on the way to the neighborhood, everything looked black.

On one side of the road, the charred remains of houses and the skeletons of trees. Beyond, the smoking husk of Chile’s national botanical garden. The air still carried the acrid smell of the historic wildfires that left at least 131 people dead, destroyed thousands of homes in the seaside Valparaíso region and plunged the Andean nation into mourning.

But at the crest of the hill, there was a stunning sight. In this desert of ash and soot, an oasis.

The neighborhood of Botania gleamed upon the hilltop, its neat rows of brightly painted houses undamaged. Cars sat undisturbed on its ash-free roads.

That this community of 80 or so houses somehow emerged unscathed from what have been called the deadliest fires in Chilean history has generated viral social media posts and headlines of disbelief and awe this past week.

“WHAT IS THE REASON?” asked CHV Noticias.

The story of how Botania was saved when so much else was lost at once points to possible solutions and preventive measures in a country and world dealing with increasingly devastating wildfires, while also revealing the stubborn social inequalities that often exacerbate such disasters.

Botania owes its escape to the disciplined execution of a fire prevention plan crafted by Chilean forestry officials and a local nongovernmental organization, with support from the U.S. government. For months, with more than $20,000 in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, community leaders had bought supplies and prepared for the next big fire.

“With tools and with training, good things can happen,” said Tim Callaghan, a senior USAID official. “And this is clearly a success.”

But as the fires spread this month, ultimately consuming as many as 6,000 houses and sending thousands into homelessness, the plan and training that would be so successful in Botania was not available in many of the communities that turned out to need it most.

Botania

JAN. 14

FEB. 7

Burned areas in black or gray

Unburned

vegetation in red

Villa Independencia

JAN. 14

FEB. 7

Source: Maxar Technologies

Botania

JAN. 14

FEB. 7

Burned areas in black or gray

Unburned

vegetation in red

Villa Independencia

JAN. 14

FEB. 7

Source: Maxar Technologies

Botania

Villa Independencia

JAN. 14

FEB. 7

Burned areas in black or gray

Unburned

vegetation in red

Source: Maxar Technologies

Botania

Villa Independencia

JAN. 14

FEB. 7

Burned areas in black or gray

Unburned

vegetation in red

Source: Maxar Technologies

Where the fires were most destructive

Officials estimate that 70 percent of the region’s destroyed homes were concentrated in irregular settlements called “tomas ilegales.” The conditions in many of the settlements were so combustible — improper forest management, trash-strewn streets, houses built with cheap, flammable materials — that whole communities burned in a matter of minutes.

It was a tragic reminder of Chile’s failure to solve its ongoing housing crisis. In recent years, rising rents, coupled with stagnant incomes and the long shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, have placed standardized housing out of reach for tens of thousands of people. Many have ended up in the tomas ilegales.

The proliferation of the settlements has coincided with a sharp escalation in forest fires. Authorities believe this month’s blazes were started intentionally. But scientists say what sped the fires’ spread was a volatile combination of drought, climate change and El Niño. Three times more land in Chile burned in the past decade than in the one before, noted a study in the journal Scientific Reports.

The fires of recent years have been particularly intense in central Chile, where the region of Valparaíso, popular with tourists, has been remade by the irregular enclaves. Roughly one-fourth of all of the country’s tomas ilegales are found along its slopes and hills, housing more than 30,000 people, according to a national survey.

Some of the settlements are more established, with running water and electricity. Others are little more than a collection of wooden shacks. The unpaved roads are strewn with debris. Flammable brush is everywhere. Most are beyond the reach of state services.

Sebastián Todd Navarro has lived all of his 25 years inside one such community, Villa Independencia, situated above a bustling commercial hub. He has rarely felt the support of the state. Cut off from city lines, his family for years had to get water and electricity informally.

He discerned state neglect again on the afternoon of Feb. 2. The city has a fire warning system. Yet Navarro said the first sign of danger was not his phone buzzing, but the blaze spreading below.

“A sight I can never forget,” he said.

It raced up the hill, exploiting all of the brush and trash left throughout the community. The wooden shacks exploded into flames.

Navarro said he drove down the hill to safety. By the time he made it, his community had virtually disappeared. It had taken less than 10 minutes, according to news reports.

When Navarro returned, he found bodies everywhere. For days, he said, the corpses remained. People covered them in metal cans to keep the dogs from feeding on them, while waiting for state workers to come help take them away.

‘We could no longer be spectators’

Neglect was not the story of Botania, whose path toward salvation began in late 2022, with another fire. That blaze burned through the nearby botanical garden, which housed some of the world’s rarest tree species, charring nearly 10 acres.

Its proximity to Botania, a middle-class neighborhood built atop an isolated hilltop and surrounded by combustible brush, terrified residents.

“We could no longer be spectators,” said resident Cecilia Cisternas.

Just then, Quilpué city officials asked if the neighborhood wanted to be part of a new pilot project. The city had identified Botania as one of the most vulnerable communities, and this project was a way to start preparing for the next fire. Botania residents quickly agreed.

The initiative was led by a local NGO, Caritas Chile, which had partnered with Chilean forest officials and received a grant from USAID in 2022 to train communities on fire prevention strategies. The new program launched in 14 neighborhoods, encompassing more than 12,000 people. The irregular settlements were intentionally left out.

“Unfortunately, the reality of the settlements is complex,” said Quilpué Mayor Valeria Melipillán. “They are almost all in areas of risk, prone to fires, flooding and mass removal — places where no regulated construction would be possible, making it very complex to establish adequate prevention plans there.”

A spokesperson with USAID said the organization wants to broaden the program to include more vulnerable communities. “While the informal settlements were not included in the first phase of this program,” the spokesperson said, “conversations are ongoing about how to incorporate additional at-risk communities in future phases.”

For Botania, Chilean forestry officers produced a risk report to determine the greatest fire risks and coached residents on how to address them.

“The plan was simple,” said Simón Berti, the president of Chile’s forestry engineer association. “Eliminate all vegetation near the houses. Cut down trees, clear out all dried pastureland.”

Botania residents plunged themselves into the arcana of forest fire prevention.

“I don’t work in forestry,” said Rodrigo Vargas, president of the community fire prevention organization. “I’m just another resident. We had to learn everything from scratch to get a hold on the basic concepts.”

They cleaved a wide path around the community, removing all debris to create a firebreak. They held weekly planning sessions and installed a command center equipped with an electric generator and walkie-talkies. They regularly cleared the surrounding area of all potentially flammable materials, cutting back trees and retrieving trash. They learned to use water sprayers to soak the ground to slow the advance of the flames.

Then time ran out for preparations. The fire had arrived.

Deadly wildfires in Chile have killed at least 112 people and devastated communities. The neighborhood Botania remained untouched. (Video: Sebastián Helena)

Relief, happiness — then sorrow

As people began to evacuate, Vargas became convinced all of their preparations had been for nothing. This inferno was unlike any he’d ever seen.

“The force of the fire,” he said. “Its violence.”

He made it to safety below, where he waited for any information on what had happened in Botania. Finally, a message from a neighbor: Botania still stood. It hadn’t burned.

Vargas didn’t believe it. The neighbor had to have been mistaken. Vargas waited until the flames died down. Then he climbed the hill on foot until he reached its zenith.

“It was one of the most beautiful things,” he said. “It was still there.”

None of the houses had been damaged.

The relief and joy he felt, however, quickly gave way to sorrow. He took a moment to absorb the view from the neighborhood. There was little but a black sea of ash.

His Botania was all that had survived.

McCoy reported from Rio de Janeiro. Marina Dias in Brasília contributed to this report.

correction

A previous version of this story said 10 people had been arrested. Those arrests were in connection with a previous fire. The story has been updated.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : The Washington Post – https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/10/chile-wildfire-botania-tomas-ilegales/

Tags: Chile'sDeadlynews
Previous Post

Bodies of missing 6-year-old, paramedics found in north Gaza, aid group says

Next Post

Trump bashes Biden, Justice Department for ‘political persecution’ in battleground Pennsylvania

Credo Technology: Wiring The AI Revolution (NASDAQ:CRDO) – Seeking Alpha

Credo Technology: Driving the Next Wave of AI Innovation

August 3, 2025
Judge Halts Stephen F. Austin’s Female Sports Cuts Amid Title IX Suit – Sportico.com

Judge Halts Stephen F. Austin’s Female Sports Cuts Amid Title IX Suit – Sportico.com

August 3, 2025
Study reveals China’s ecological red lines offer blueprint for biodiversity protection – Phys.org

Study reveals China’s ecological red lines offer blueprint for biodiversity protection – Phys.org

August 3, 2025
What do TSA bag scanners actually see? – Popular Science

What do TSA bag scanners actually see? – Popular Science

August 3, 2025
Why does your mind goes ‘blank’? New brain scans reveal the surprising answer – Live Science

Why does your mind goes ‘blank’? New brain scans reveal the surprising answer – Live Science

August 3, 2025
U.S. POINTER Study shows lifestyle program improves cognition in older adults – University of California – Davis Health

Lifestyle Program Boosts Cognitive Health in Older Adults, New Study Finds

August 3, 2025
World Championships, Day Eight Finals: Kliment Kolesnikov Blazes to Title in 50 Backstroke; Tie for Silver – Swimming World

Kliment Kolesnikov Blazes to Victory in 50 Backstroke as Day Eight of World Championships Ends with a Silver Medal Tie

August 3, 2025
Bond investors warm to risk, with Fed staying put in ‘Goldilocks’ economy – Reuters

Bond Investors Take Bold Steps as Fed Maintains Steady Course in a ‘Goldilocks’ Economy

August 3, 2025
Go-to entertainment: why gaming was made for the toilet – The Guardian

Why Gaming Is the Ultimate Way to Pass Time in the Bathroom

August 3, 2025
Covenant Health offers immunizations, activities for kids at Back to School Bash – KCBD

Covenant Health’s Back to School Bash: A Fun-Filled Immunization and Activities Event for Kids

August 3, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (752)
  • Economy (777)
  • Entertainment (21,654)
  • General (16,265)
  • Health (9,814)
  • Lifestyle (785)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (777)
  • Politics (786)
  • Science (15,990)
  • Sports (21,273)
  • Technology (15,755)
  • World (758)

Recent News

Credo Technology: Wiring The AI Revolution (NASDAQ:CRDO) – Seeking Alpha

Credo Technology: Driving the Next Wave of AI Innovation

August 3, 2025
Judge Halts Stephen F. Austin’s Female Sports Cuts Amid Title IX Suit – Sportico.com

Judge Halts Stephen F. Austin’s Female Sports Cuts Amid Title IX Suit – Sportico.com

August 3, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version