A Chilean court has ordered the pretrial detention of a 39-year-old man suspected of starting one of the wildfires that have swept central and southern Chile, killing at least 20 people. The man was arrested on Thursday night in connection with the Trinitarias fire, the largest of around 15 blazes that have been out of control since Sunday.
Prosecutors allege the fire began when the man used a defective wood-burning stove, with sparks quickly spreading to forest in the Bio Bio region, about 500km from Santiago. The Guarantee Court of Concepción accepted the prosecution's request to extend detention pending further investigations, including the search for more bodies in the town of Lirquen.
During the hearing, prosecutor Jorge Lorca said evidence included video footage from a forestry company linking the suspect to the events. “We personally inspected the feasibility and distance of the actions with the Investigative Police, using an institutional helicopter,” he told reporters. The accused must remain in pretrial detention until 26 January, when formal charges are expected.
The wildfires have devastated parts of Bio Bio, reducing several towns to ashes. At least 20 deaths have been recorded in Penco and Lirquen, with one further death elsewhere. The Trinitarias fire later merged with two other blazes, creating a wall of flames that has scorched over 45,000 hectares (176 square miles). Official figures report 21 dead and 305 injured.
Around 15 active megafires are also reported in the regions of Ñuble and La Araucanía. Nearly 700 people remain in shelters and more than 2,300 homes have been destroyed. The total area burned already exceeds the 2024 Valparaiso and Viña del Mar fire, which consumed 8,500 hectares and claimed 131 lives.
