MOVED

Here are the facts:

Forest fires have been raging through the entire country since approximately January 18

Over 238,000 hectares (588,000 acres) of land have been burned

An entire town, Santa Olga, and its 1,000 rural homes burned down entirely just last night

The current heat wave and wind in Chile is only making things worse

There are currently 6 dead due to the fires, including firefighters

Over 4,000 people have been evacuated from their homes

There are over 90 fires in different locations

The fires began in one Región; now they have taken over three. Look at this map of Chile for reference.

Families have lost homes; entrepreneurs have lost their businesses; people have lost family members; animals have lost their lives

Photos

So, what can I do to help?

Raise awareness. Due to the crazy weeks we’ve had worldwide, not enough attention is being brought to this catastrophe. Share the news, let people know what’s happening.

Donate money to foundations helping with fire relief. Levantemos Chile is a great option for this.

Instructions to donate from outside Chile via Swift:

Financial Institution: Banco de Chile

Branch: Central

Address: Ahumada No. 251, Santiago, Chile

SWIFT Code: BCHICLRM

Beneficiary Account (USD): 05-000-98027-01

“We will appreciate if you can send us an email with your info and details of the money transfer for our registry.”

You can also donate through PayPal on their website.

Donate to specific areas through GoFundMe’s set up by community members.

Empedrado Fire Victims

Help for Chile Firemen (firemen in Chile are all volunteers and receive no pay, they are the real heroes)

Help for Chile’s Wildfire Victims

Victims of Chilean Wildfires

These fundraisers are easily found with a quick google search. More and more pop up every hour, so go ahead and donate!

If you have family or friends in Chile, arrange to transfer money to them in order for them to make local donations. There are collection centers in need of water, energy bars for firefighters, hygiene products and animal food. Make arrangements for your money to reach where it is most needed.

Further information for local donations under the cut.

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