Chile and Argentina Wildfires (February 2025)

Severe wildfires in Chile and Argentina during February 2025 killed at least 130 people and burned over 1.3 million hectares, a burn area four times larger than the 2024 Amazon fire season. The fires were worsened by a prolonged drought and record temperatures, destroying towns in Valparaiso and Biobio, prompting Chile to declare a catastrophe and request international air-tanker support. Compared to #5 Brazil Amazon Drought and Fires, this event's human toll is higher, though the Amazon's ecological damage remains more extensive.