Chile Wildfires Kill 5 Firefighters, 3 Missing Five firefighters are dead and three others missing in Chile, where spreading wildfires are being fueled by high winds and dangerously dry conditions. Gov. Miguel Mellado says a brigade of local firefighters was caught in the flames when winds suddenly shifted in Cautin, about 450 miles (730 kilometers) south of the capital, Santiago. Firefighters work in an area of the Torres del Paine national park in Torres del Paine, Chile, Sunday Jan. 1, 2012. Firefighters are making progress against a major blaze that has burned at least 48 square miles (12,500 hectares) in one of Chile's most spectacular national parks. The Israeli tourist accused of setting the fire denied guilt. Five firefighters were killed, three are missing and two others suffered severe burns as they battled blazes in the Cordillera de la Costa. Nearly 50 wildfires have sprung up in southern Chile, destroying hundreds of houses and driving out thousands of people, including tourists at the Torres del Paine park. Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil have answered President Sebastian Pinera's appeal for help.