Uruguay to send 40 firefighters to Chile as Biobío and Ñuble wildfires leave at least 20 dead

Firefighters fighting a fire in Piriápolis, Uruguay. Photo: Sebastián Astorga

Uruguay will deploy a contingent of around 40 firefighters to Chile to help battle the wildfires ravaging the country’s south-central regions—particularly Biobío and Ñuble—where Chilean authorities have reported at least 20 deaths and thousands of people affected.

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi confirmed the deployment after Chile submitted a formal request for humanitarian assistance. The team is scheduled to depart on Thursday, January 22, aboard a Uruguayan Air Force Hercules C-130 aircraft and will work for seven days, with the mission expected to run through January 31. Orsi said the unit will provide “human support” for direct firefighting in hard-to-reach areas where heavy machinery cannot operate.

In Chile, an official update issued on Tuesday put the death toll at 20 and reported 7,237 affected people and 562 shelter residents, as multiple active fronts continued to test emergency services. The same report counted 590 homes destroyed—most of them in Biobío—and noted damage to public infrastructure, including schools and health facilities.

Chile’s disaster agency Senapred said its SAE emergency alert system has been used extensively to order evacuations as fire lines shift quickly. Local coverage in recent days also cited evacuation calls for specific sectors in Biobío in coordination with Senapred.

President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe and imposed nighttime restrictions in the hardest-hit areas. Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde warned that conditions could deteriorate again as weather changes and urged caution around sites under investigation, as prosecutors and police work to determine how the fires started.

Authorities also reported arrests linked to suspected deliberate actions and condemned attacks against firefighters in La Araucanía, where volunteers faced threats and gunfire while battling a blaze.

Chile has faced increasingly destructive wildfire seasons in recent years. In February 2024, fires in the Valparaíso region killed more than 100 people, one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters, according to reporting and official statements at the time.

Uruguay’s deployment adds to regional disaster-assistance mechanisms as Chile continues an expanded response combining ground crews, aerial resources and international coordination for specialized reinforcements.