[chris]

On February 2, wildfires in Chile burned through more than 750 hectares of forest, damaging homes and endangering farms and forests.

According to the National Forestry Corporation, a fire near Chillan, about 400 kilometers from Santiago, has consumed an area about three times the size of Monaco. Another 200 hectares have been burned in another part of the Nuble region.

The fires remain uncontrolled due to weather conditions, and the Emergency Alert System has been activated in some cases to support evacuations. Chile's Interior Ministry declared a red alert for Nuble region and Biobio region, farther south, and authorities ordered evacuations in rural areas of Nuble region.

The ministry also temporarily closed seven national parks in Santiago and some southern regions because of the risk of new fires. Officials are also watching the Puelche, a hot, dry wind expected over central and southern Chile, with temperatures already reaching 42°C.