Chile Wildfires Map
Wildfire statistics · Chile
In 2026, 306,073 hectares have burned in Chile — 23% below the 20-year average.
About wildfires in Chile
Chile experiences devastating wildfire seasons, with the central and southern regions particularly affected. The country's Mediterranean climate, combined with drought conditions and the presence of highly flammable eucalyptus and pine plantations, creates extreme fire risk during summer months (December-March).
The 2017 fire season was Chile's worst on record, with over 500,000 hectares burned and 11 deaths. The 2023 fires in Biobío and Ñuble killed 26 people and destroyed thousands of homes. The Valparaíso region faces recurring urban-wildland interface fires threatening hillside communities.
Our tracking system monitors all fire hotspots across Chile's territory, from the Atacama Desert in the north to the forests of Patagonia in the south.
Chile wildfire season
Chile's fires peak in the southern-hemisphere summer, roughly December to March and worst in January and February. The danger is concentrated in the country's central and south-central regions — Valparaíso, O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía, where a Mediterranean climate meets vast plantations of flammable pine and eucalyptus.
A mega-drought stretching over more than a decade has left forests and plantations tinder-dry, and fires increasingly reach the urban-wildland interface — the hillsides above cities like Valparaíso and Viña del Mar packed with homes.
Notable wildfires in history
- 2024 Valparaíso Fires
The deadliest wildfire in Chile's history and one of the world's deadliest in a century: after days of extreme heat, fires tore through the hillside neighbourhoods above Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, killing about 136 people and destroying thousands of homes.
- 2023 Central-South Fires
A wave of summer fires across Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía killed 26 people and burned well over 400,000 hectares, destroying thousands of homes during an intense heatwave.
- 2017 The "Firestorm"
Chile's largest fire season on record: more than 500,000 hectares burned, 11 people died and the town of Santa Olga was wiped out, with fires so intense they produced extreme, hard-to-predict behaviour.
Main causes & risk factors
- A Mediterranean climate combined with a mega-drought lasting more than a decade
- Vast monoculture plantations of highly flammable pine and eucalyptus
- Extreme summer heatwaves that dry out vegetation
- Hot, dry downslope winds that fan and spread fires fast
- Fires reaching the urban-wildland interface on hillsides above cities
Safety & preparedness
- On Valparaíso-style hillsides, leave early — fire can reach homes very fast
- Follow SENAPRED evacuation alerts and keep an emergency bag ready
- Clear defensible space around homes on the wildland edge
- Wear an N95 mask and watch air quality during heavy smoke
- Report fires to CONAF (130) and never light fires on high-risk days
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Frequently asked questions
When is Chile's fire season?
Roughly December to March, worst in January and February during the southern-hemisphere summer, when heat and drought peak.
Where do most fires happen in Chile?
In the central and south-central regions — Valparaíso, O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía — where Mediterranean climate meets flammable pine and eucalyptus plantations.
What was Chile's worst wildfire?
By deaths, the 2024 Valparaíso fires (~136 killed) — the deadliest in the country's history. By area, the 2017 "firestorm" burned over 500,000 hectares.
Why are Chile's fires so severe?
A decade-long mega-drought, extreme heat, and vast plantations of flammable pine and eucalyptus combine — and fires increasingly reach hillside neighbourhoods packed with homes.
Where does this map's fire data come from?
Every hotspot comes from NASA's FIRMS system, using VIIRS satellites that detect active fires worldwide and update several times a day.