Why Chile's deadly wildfires didn't cause any damage near Botania

However, there was an amazing sight at the top of the hill. An oasis in this desert of ash and soot.

The district of Botania shines on the top of the hill, its neat rows of brightly painted The house is undamaged. Cars were idling on the ash-free roads.

This community of some 80 houses somehow emerged unscathed from what is said to be the deadliest fire in Chile's history. Posts that went viral on social media last week and headlines of disbelief and awe.

“Unbelievable!” said El Reporto Diario.

“What is the reason?” asked CHV Noticias.

The story of how Botania was saved when so many others were lost at once offers possible solutions and preventive measures for the nation and the world to deal with increasingly destructive wildfires. It also reveals the stubborn social inequalities that often exacerbate such disasters.

Massive wildfires are a new threat to Chile. Here's why they're so deadly:

Botania's escape was due to the disciplined implementation of a fire prevention plan drawn up by Chilean forestry officials. A local non-governmental organization supported by the U.S. government. With more than $20,000 in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, community leaders have been purchasing supplies and preparing for the next big fire for months.

“If you have the tools and the training, good things can happen,” said Tim Callahan, a senior USAID official. “And this is clearly a success.”

But the planning and training that would have been so successful in Botania is now where it's needed most, as the fires spread this month, ultimately destroying as many as 6,000 homes and forcing thousands of people into homelessness. It was not available in many communities.

Where the fire caused the most damage

Officials estimate that 70 percent of the destroyed homes in the area are concentrated in an irregular settlement called “Tomas Illegales.” Conditions in many settlements were so flammable, with improper forest management, trash-strewn roads, and houses built from cheap combustible materials, that entire settlements could burn within minutes.

It was a tragic reminder of Chile's inability to solve its ongoing housing crisis. Rising rents, stagnant incomes and the long shadow of the coronavirus pandemic have put standardized housing out of reach for tens of thousands of people in recent years. Many ended up with Tomas Illegares.

popularization of The settlement coincided with a rapid spread of forest fires. Authorities believe this month's fires were deliberately started and have made at least 10 arrests so far. But scientists say it was a volatile combination of drought, climate change and El Niño that accelerated the spread of the fires.In Chile, more than three times as much land has been burned in the past That's 10 years longer than before, says a study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Forest fires in recent years have been particularly intense in central Chile, and the Valparaíso region, which is popular with tourists, is Remade by Irregular Enclave. According to a national survey, about a quarter of the Tomas eregales in Japan live on slopes and hills, where more than 30,000 people live.

Some settlements are more established with water and electricity. Some are simply collections of wooden huts. Debris is scattered on the dirt road. There are flammable brushes everywhere. Most of them are beyond the reach of national services.

For the better part of 25 years, Sebastian Todd Navarro has lived in one such community, Villa Independencia, perched above a bustling commercial center.he I rarely felt supported of the state. Cut off from the city's transportation network, his family had to obtain water and electricity informally for years.

He recognized the state's negligence again on the afternoon of February 2nd. A fire broke out in the city. Warning system.still Navarro said the first sign of danger was not the phone ringing, but the fire. spreads downward.

“It's a sight I'll never forget,” he said.

They ran up the hill, using all the bushes and trash left throughout the area. The wooden hut burst into flames.

Navarro said he drove. Go down the hill to a safe place. By the time he succeeded, his community had virtually disappeared. According to reports, the journey took less than 10 minutes.

When Navarro returned, there were bodies everywhere. The body remained there for several days. People covered the dogs with metal cans to keep them from eating and waited for state officials to remove them.

“We can no longer be spectators.”

Neglect was not Botania's story. Botania's road to salvation began in late 2022 with a new fire. The fire scorched nearly 10 acres, razing a nearby botanical garden that is home to some of the world's rarest tree species.

Built on an isolated hill and surrounded by flammable bushes, it was close to the middle-class neighborhood of Botania, which terrified residents.

“We can no longer be spectators,” said resident Cecilia Cisternas.

Just then, Kilpue city officials asked if the neighborhood would like to participate in a new pilot project.The city had identified Botania as one of the most vulnerable areas. This project was a way to start preparing for the next fire. The residents of Botania quickly agreed.

The effort is being led by local NGO Caritas Chile, which received a grant from USAID in 2022 to partner with Chilean forest authorities and train local communities on fire prevention strategies. The new program was launched in 14 regions and more than 12,000 people participated. Irregular settlements were intentionally omitted.

“Unfortunately, the reality of settlements is complex,” said Valeria Melipilan, Mayor of Quilpue. “Most of them are located in hazardous areas prone to fire, floods and mass removals, where regulated construction is not possible, and where proper prevention planning is very complex.”

A USAID spokesperson said USAID wants to expand the program to include more vulnerable communities. “While informal settlements were not included in the first phase of the programme, discussions continue on how to include at-risk communities in future phases,” the spokesperson said. Stated.

In the case of Botania, Chilean forest officials create risk report to determine maximum fire risk and trained residents on how to deal with them.

“The plan was simple,” said Simon Berti, president of the Chilean Association of Forestry Engineers. “Eradicate all vegetation near your home. Cut down trees and clear all dry meadows.”

The residents of Botania have thrown themselves into the difficult task of preventing forest fires.

“I don't work in forestry,” says Rodrigo Vargas, president of the local fire protection organization. “I'm just a resident. I had to learn everything from scratch to understand the basic concepts.”

They cut a wide path around the community and removed all the debris to create a firebreak. They held weekly planning sessions and set up a command center with generators and walkie-talkies. They regularly removed all flammable materials from the area, cut down trees, and picked up trash. They learned how to use water cannons to soak the ground to slow the flames.

After that, there was no time to prepare. The fire has arrived.

relief, happiness, and sadness

As people began to evacuate, Vargas became convinced that all his preparations had been in vain. This hell was unlike anything he had seen before.

“It's a lot of fire,” he said. “That's violence.”

He reached a safe place underground, where he awaited information about what had happened in Botania. Finally, a message from a neighbor: Botania was still standing. It wasn't burning.

Vargas didn't believe it. The person next door must have misunderstood. Vargas waited until the flames died down. Then he climbed the hill on foot until he reached the top.

“It was one of the most beautiful things,” he said. “It was still there.”

There was no damage to any home.

However, the relief and joy he felt was quickly replaced by sadness. He took a moment to absorb the view from his neighborhood. There was a small sea of ​​black ash.

Only his Botania survived.

McCoy reported from Rio de Janeiro. Marina Díaz in Brasilia contributed to this report.