Catastrophic wildfires affect southern Chile

January 13, 2026

UPDATE January 26, 2026

Hogar de Cristo has been focusing on three areas amid the devastating wildfires in the Ñuble and BioBío Regions of Chile. All are activated sequentially in response to the emergency and the needs on the ground:

1) Equipment for debris removal.

2) Psychosocial support for affected families (trauma management).

3) KITs for basic habitability furnishing (beds, kitchens, dining sets, etc.).

At this stage, Hogar de Cristo focuses on providing KITs for basic habitability and trauma management-psychosocial support to severely affected people.

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Sunday January 19th, 2026

Catastrophic wildfires affect southern Chile!

The President of Chile has declared a state of catastrophe in two regions in the south of the country, Ñuble and BíoBío, as raging wildfires forced at least 50,000 people to evacuate and claimed lives, with at least 19 dead (as of today). Same with burned acres updated today, over 21,000 acres so far, in just a few days, and increasing.

The devastating wildfires have reached populated areas of Penco, Tomé, and Concepción in Chile’s Bío Bío region. Puelche-wind-driven flames and high summer temperatures have intensified multiple blazes.

Our first-response emergency program is activated, and Hogar de Cristo is already on the ground, assisting affected people and activating its programs. We also help affected people connect with emergency care networks. As always, we remain on-site after the emergency to support reconstruction and trauma management, including providing basics.

RELIEF EFFORTS:

Our first-response program to the emergency is already running, assisting those affected in Penco, Tomé, Lirquén, and Punta de Parra. It is hitting the road. But the damage, destruction, and pain are massive, and WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE. We need your urgent help and solidarity to expand assistance to many more people and to provide humanitarian aid, accompaniment, and professional support to those who need it most.

Now starts the more complex stage, the reconstruction and trauma management, PTSD, etc.

Please donate to this cause. Join us by donation from the U.S.: CLICK HERE

NATALIA TESTIMONY: Watch the video below.

Misery and destruction, but a lot of resilience and stoicism!

LIRQUÉN, a city of 20,000 in southern Chile, is among the cities most impacted by wildfires this time. Nearly 80% of its urban area has been devastated by wildfires.

NATALIA was born there and has lived in Lirquén for 40 years. Stoic in the face of destruction, she shares her terrible experience and cries out to us for BASIC help (watch the short video). She says, “Please do not forget us.”

DON’T LEAVE HER ALONE, as well as thousands of others from Nuble and BioBío, who have had their homes severely damaged or lost everything due to the violent wildfires.