A wildfire raged through a residential area on the outskirts of the Chilean city of Valparaíso on Tuesday, engulfing houses and prompting evacuation orders.
As of late Tuesday night, the blaze had destroyed more than 120 houses and was only partly under control, the local fire department said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but its rapid spread was worsened by warm, dry weather and steady winds. Wildfires, which are exacerbated by climate change, have caused widespread destruction in Australia, Brazil, the United States and other countries this year.
The mayor of Valparaíso, Jorge Sharp, told local news outlets early Wednesday that there were indications that the fire had been set intentionally.
Valparaíso is a port city in central Chile filled with vividly painted homes that line winding, hillside streets.
At least 120 homes had been affected by the fire by early Wednesday, according to a statement on Twitter from Valparaíso’s fire department. Photos taken in Valparaíso on Tuesday showed homes engulfed in flames.
In a post on Twitter early on Wednesday, Mr. Sharp, the mayor, said that city officials had declared an emergency in the local area to “facilitate debris removal and reconstruction.”
“In addition, we will file a complaint against those who are responsible for the obvious intentionality of this fire,” the mayor wrote.
Two shelters were set up for those displaced by the fire, according to a statement from city officials.
Chile’s president, Sebastián Piñera, said in a statement posted on his Twitter account that emergency responders were working “tirelessly” to combat the blaze.
“We deeply regret the fire that affects so many families in the hills of Valparaíso and especially on Christmas Eve,” he said.
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