Tens of thousands looked on as their homes burned to the ground in Valparaíso, Chile on April 13. While Valparaíso’s residents evacuated the city, the wildfire continued to burn, killing 16 and injuring hundreds.
“I had to flee when I saw the fire was coming down the hill,” said Valparaíso citizen Maria Elizabeth Diaz in an interview with CBS. “I lost everything.”
This is said to be the most devastating fire in Chile’s history.
“We don’t typically see 10,000 people burned out of their homes,” said John Kroll, Valparaiso (Indiana) Fire Department’s division chief of training and investigator, in a phone interview with The Guilfordian. “We can throw all the resources in the world at the fire, but the best thing to do is to get out of the way. Mother nature’s in charge.”
It may be Chile’s recently sporadic weather patterns that caused the raging flames.
“Extended dry weather, in a climate that’s normally not dry, can produce lots of easily combustible materials,” said Professor of Geology and Earth Sciences David Dobson.
According to the International Committee of the Fourth International, Chile has been experiencing unusual drought and extreme temperatures, both of which contributed to this natural disaster.
However, according to Kroll, the damage can be attributed to more than changes in Valparaíso’s weather.
“A lot of the area is made up of lower income homes,” said Kroll. “They’re built very close. Fire hydrants aren’t readily available, and the roads are hard for fire trucks to navigate.”
Local government officials, including Mayor Jorge Castro, agree.
“We are too vulnerable as a city,” said Castro in an interview with Chile’s 24H channel. “We have been the builders of our own danger.”
Citizens are determined that their city be salvaged.
“We’re going to rebuild right here,” said citizen Carolina Ovando in an interview with Claims Journal. “Where else would we go?”
Inadequate government aid may also mean that merely rebuilding Valparaíso would only provide a short-term solution for a poorly constructed city.
“It will be interesting to see if they implement more stringent building codes,” said Kroll. “Unless the Chilean government wants to help, it’s unlikely that they can build homes up to code.”
The Chilean government hopes to prove otherwise.
“What we’re looking at, in terms of reconstruction, is how to rebuild in a more orderly manner,” said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to NPR.
Fortunately for Chile, scientists predict that the blaze will be of little consequence in the long run.
“This fire isn’t all that huge on the scale of things,” said Professor of Geology and Earth Sciences Marlene McCauley. “Environmental impacts are localized and relatively short-lasting.”
