A large fire in the coastal Chilean city of Valparaiso has burned at least 100 homes, prompting the evacuation of about 400 people.

Chilean Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy said that 19 people had been slightly injured, including 16 suffering from respiratory issues.

Dozens of fire brigades from Valparaiso and neighbouring municipalities were deployed to fight the blaze on Monday evening, and investigators had been sent to determine the cause of the fire, according to the government.

Images on social media showed huge brown-grey columns of smoke emanating from a neighbourhood high in one of the city's hills, and pouring into the sky and out over the Pacific Ocean.</s>SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A large fire broke out in the coastal Chilean city of Valparaiso on Monday evening, burning at least 100 homes, prompting the evacuation of about 400 people and sending plumes of smoke high into the air.

A resident watches dozens of houses burned on a hill, where more than 100 homes were burned due to a forest fire but there have been no reports of death, local authorities said in Valparaiso, Chile January 2, 2017. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

Chilean Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy said in televised remarks that 19 people had been slightly injured and a total of 500 homes were at risk. Power was initially cut to about 47,000 customers in the region, but had been restored to all but 350, he said.

Almost 50 fire brigades from Valparaiso and neighboring municipalities were deployed to fight the blaze, and investigators had been sent in to determine the cause of the fire which started in a fishermen’s club, according to the government.

Images on social media showed huge brown-gray columns of smoke emanating from a neighborhood high in one of the city’s hills, and pouring into the sky out over the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities said the blaze was fanned by gusty winds and high temperatures. Poor sanitation was also to blame as the fire fed on trash deposited in small ravines that run throughout Valparaiso.

“We don’t have any way to prevent people from throwing trash into Valparaiso’s gullies,” Aleuy said.

“We insist that it’s not just the civil system that has to do preventative work. People have to do it too.”

A drought in central Chile caused a record number of forest fires in the area last year, wreaking havoc on Chile’s key forestry industry and forcing evacuations in recent weeks near the capital, Santiago, about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Valparaiso.

A scenic, but gritty port city of 285,000, Valparaiso is the center of a metropolitan area of about 1 million, the second largest urban district in Chile.

Built on steep hillsides in an area covered in pines, many of the city’s wooden structures are susceptible to fire, especially in the poorer neighborhoods higher in the hills.

In 2014, a significantly larger fire killed 13 people and burned 2,000 homes. Many smaller fires have since hit Valparaiso, stirring debates as to how to better plan development in the city.

“It can’t always be the most outcast parts of Valparaiso that deal with these fires,” the city’s mayor, Jorge Sharp, said in televised remarks. “I ask that the state come up with an overall plan to deal with these kinds of situations.”</s>SANTIAGO: A wildfire ravaged 50 hectares of woodland and destroyed homes in the tourist city of Valparaiso in western Chile, driving the authorities to evacuate hundreds of people on Monday.

At least one person was reported hurt after the fire broke out on the outskirts of the historic port city, the National Emergencies Office (ONEMI) said in a statement.

Television pictures showed thick grey smoke filling the streets in the Laguna Verde district, where the blaze struck, and flames devouring green hillsides.

Hundreds of firefighters along with water-dumping airplanes and helicopters were battling the blaze, officials said.

"Emergency protocol have been activated," the country´s President Michelle Bachelet said on Twitter. She expressed "solidarity with the people affected."

Located 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of the capital Santiago, Valparaiso is home to Chile´s national Congress.

The flames destroyed five homes and 50 hectares of woodland, ONEMI said on Monday evening. It reported no fatalities for the time being.

Some 200 people were evacuated from their homes as a precaution, the agency added.

Electricity providers said they had cut power to nearly 48,000 customers also as a precaution.

Fanned by strong winds in hot summer weather, the fire broke out in the wooded, hilly region that makes Valparaiso a picturesque tourist destination.

Laguna Verde lies on the southern outskirts of Valparaiso, a sprawling city built on 40 hills with stunning views over the sea.

Dubbed the "jewel of the Pacific," the picturesque colonial city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Thousands of tourists come every year to stroll its narrow cobbled streets and ride cable cars up the steep hills.

Wildfires killed 15 people in 2014 and destroyed thousands of homes in the area, particularly in the city´s poorer neighborhoods.

The wooden structures with their tin roofs, perched on tinder-dry hillsides, were quickly engulfed.

More blazes in March 2015 killed one woman and forced thousands of people from their homes.

The city is home to 270,000 people overall, many living in brightly colored houses on the hillsides.

In its heyday from the mid-19th century to the early 20th, Valparaiso became famous as a stopover point for ships steaming down to the continent´s southern tip and on to the Atlantic.

The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 prompted a spectacular drop in traffic calling in at Valparaiso and an end to the port´s glory days.

It now relies heavily on tourism, and living standards are lower than the average in Chile.

Huge wildfire destroys homes in Chile tourist city was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 03, 2017 and was last updated on January 03, 2017. This news story is related to Latest/176450-Huge-wildfire-destroys-homes-in-Chile-tourist-city/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Huge wildfire destroys homes in Chile tourist city" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/176450-Huge-wildfire-destroys-homes-in-Chile-tourist-city.</s>A wildfire has ravaged woods and burned 100 houses in the hilly Chilean port city of Valparaiso, forcing the authorities to evacuate hundreds of people.

At least 19 people were reported hurt after the fire broke out on Monday on the outskirts of the historic city, the government said, but there were no fatalities.

Thick grey smoke filled the streets in the Laguna Verde district where the blaze struck, and flames devoured green hillsides.

Hundreds of firefighters, along with water-dumping airplanes and helicopters, battled the blaze, officials said.

The flames damaged 100 of the 500 homes in the area, Deputy Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy said.

Some 200 people were evacuated from their homes as a precaution.

The flames destroyed 50ha of woodland, the National Emergencies Office said in a statement.</s>Forest fire destroys dozens of homes near Chilean port city of Valparaiso

A large fire fuelled by strong winds has burnt at least 100 homes, injured at least 19 and forced the evacuation of about 400 people near the Chilean port city of Valparaiso.

Authorities said the blaze started on Monday afternoon in the Laguna Verde area and spread to Playa Ancha hill, where there are many wooden houses.

About 400 people were ordered to evacuate as a precaution, officials said.

Chile's Interior Undersecretary Mahmud Aleuy said about 100 homes had been damaged, and regional Governor Gabriel Aldoney said 500 more houses are "at risk".

Mr Aleuy said 16 of those injured had respiratory problems.

Fire brigades, soldiers and forest workers were in the hills fighting the fire, which was fuelled by winds of up to 30km an hour, low humidity and high temperatures.

The fight was also complicated because the area is crisscrossed by many ravines, the roads are narrow and water mains are scarce.

People in Valparaiso wore masks if they ventured into the streets trying to protect themselves against the smoke and fumes.

In 2014, a forest fire destroyed 2,500 homes and killed 15 people in the hills that surround Valparaiso.

The colonial-era city known for colourfully painted cliff-top houses was designated a UN World Heritage Site in 2003.</s>The coastal city of Valparaiso in central Chile is once again struggling with summer wildfires. A large blaze on Monday evening destroyed up to 100 homes.

The fire left 19 people with minor injuries and prompted the evacuation of about 400 people. Chilean Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy said a total of 500 homes were still at risk.

Images on social media showed huge brown-grey columns of smoke emanating from a neighbourhood high in one of the city’s hills, and out over the Pacific Ocean. Officials suspected the blaze started at a fisherman’s club.

A drought in central Chile caused a record number of forest fires in the area last year.

Click on the video player above to see the full report on the Valparaiso fire.</s>Fire is seen on a hill, where more than 100 homes were burned due to forest fire, local authorities said in Valparaiso, Chile January 2, 2017. — Reuters picVALPARAISO, Jan 3 — A wildfire ravaged woods and burned 100 homes in the hilly Chilean port city of Valparaiso, where authorities evacuated hundreds of people yesterday.

At least 19 people were reported hurt after the fire broke out on the outskirts of the historic port city, the government said.

Television pictures showed thick grey smoke filling the streets in the Laguna Verde district, where the blaze struck, and flames devouring green hillsides.

Hundreds of firefighters along with water-dumping airplanes and helicopters were battling the blaze, officials said.

“Emergency protocol have been activated,” the country's President Michelle Bachelet said on Twitter. She expressed “solidarity with the people affected.”

The flames had “damaged 100 homes in an area where there are 500,” deputy interior minister Mahmud Aleuy told a news conference late yesterday.

He said 19 people had been hurt, mostly by breathing in smoke, but “fortunately there are no (mortal) victims.”

The flames destroyed 50 hectares of woodland, the National Emergencies Office said in a statement.

Fanned by strong winds in hot summer weather, the fire broke out in the hilly region that makes Valparaiso a picturesque tourist destination.

Some 200 people were evacuated from their homes as a precaution, the agency added.

Electricity providers said they had cut power to nearly 48,000 customers also as a precaution.

Located 120 kilometers northwest of the capital Santiago, Valparaiso is home to Chile's national Congress.

Laguna Verde lies on the southern outskirts of Valparaiso, a sprawling city built on 40 hills with stunning sea views.

Dubbed the “jewel of the Pacific,” the picturesque colonial city is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Thousands of tourists come every year to stroll its narrow cobbled streets and ride cable cars up the steep hills.

Wildfires killed 15 people in 2014 and destroyed thousands of homes in the area, particularly in the city's poorer neighbourhoods.

The wooden structures with their tin roofs, perched on tinder-dry hillsides, were quickly engulfed in that fire.

More blazes in March 2015 killed one woman and forced thousands of people from their homes.

The city is home to 270,000 people overall, many living in brightly coloured houses on the hillsides.

In its heyday from the mid-19th century to the early 20th, Valparaiso became famous as a stopover point for ships steaming down to the continent's southern tip and on to the Atlantic.

The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 prompted a spectacular drop in traffic to Valparaiso and an end to the port's glory days.

It now relies heavily on tourism, and living standards are lower than the average in Chile. — AFP</s>A large fire broke out in the coastal Chilean city of Valparaiso on Monday evening, burning at least 100 homes, prompting the evacuation of about 400 people and sending plumes of smoke high in the air. A resident watches dozens of houses burned on a hill, where more than 100 homes were burned due to a forest fire but there have been no reports of death, local authorities said in Valparaiso, Chile January 2, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com.</s>A wildfire ravaged 50 hectares of woodland and destroyed homes in the tourist city of Valparaiso in western Chile, driving the authorities to evacuate hundreds of people on Monday. At least one person was reported hurt after the fire broke out on the outskirts of the historic port city, the National Emergencies Office said in a statement.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Manila Bulletin.</s>At least 100 homes burned as fire erupts in Valparaiso, Chile

SANTIAGO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A large fire broke out in the coastal Chilean city of Valparaiso on Monday evening, burning at least 100 homes, prompting the evacuation of about 400 people and sending plumes of smoke high in the air.

Chilean Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy said in televised remarks that 19 people had been slightly injured, including 16 suffering from respiratory issues. Power was initially cut to about 47,000 customers in the region, but had been restored to all but 350, he said.

Dozens of fire brigades from Valparaiso and neighboring municipalities were deployed to fight the blaze, and investigators had been sent in to determine the cause of the fire, according to the government.

Images on social media showed huge brown-gray columns of smoke emanating from a neighborhood high in one of the city's hills, and pouring into the sky and out over the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities said gusty winds and high temperatures were likely a factor in spreading the blaze.

A drought in central Chile caused a record number of forest fires in the area last year, wreaking havoc on its key forestry industry and forcing evacuations in recent weeks near the capital, Santiago, about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Valparaiso.

"This is a high-risk zone and the sector has undergone an evacuation," Aleuy said of the affected areas of Valparaiso. "It (evacuation) has been successful, and fortunately we don't have any tragedies to grieve."

Valparaiso, a scenic, but gritty port city of 285,000, is the center of a metropolitan area of about 1 million, the second largest urban district in Chile.

Built on steep hillsides in an area covered in pines, many of the city's wooden structures are susceptible to fire, especially in the poorer neighborhoods higher in the hills. In 2014, a significantly larger fire killed 13 people and burned 2,000 homes. Many smaller fires have since hit the city.
A wildfire destroys at least 100 homes in Valparaíso, Chile, causing the evacuation of about 400 people. The Chilean Ministry of the Interior and Public Security reports that at least 19 people suffered from minor injuries.