Chilean court extends detention of suspect accused of starting wildfire that killed 20

Associated Press (AP) — A Chilean court on Friday ordered the pretrial detention of a 39-year-old man for his alleged involvement in one of the uncontrolled wildfires that have been raging across the central and southern parts of Chile for nearly a week, leaving at least 20 dead.

The man was arrested late Thursday night for his alleged involvement in the Trinitarias fire, the largest one amid the approximately fifteen wildfires that have been out of control since Sunday.

According to the prosecution, the fire started when the man was using a wood-burning stove in poor condition. Sparks quickly spread to the vast forest that surrounds Bio Bio — a region about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the capital Santiago that has been the center of the fires — unleashing one of the worst emergencies in Chile’s recent history.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office requested an extension of the accused’s detention because there are still some ongoing investigations, including the search for more bodies in Lirquen, the town that was ground zero for the tragedy.

The Guarantee Court of Concepción in Bio Bio accepted the request of the prosecutor’s office as part of an ongoing investigation “into an arson case resulting in death.”

During the hearing, prosecutor Jorge Lorca argued that the fire spread through embers. Videos provided by a forestry company have allowed investigators to link the suspect to the events under investigation, he added.

“We personally inspected the feasibility and distance of the actions with the Investigative Police, using an institutional helicopter,” Lorca told reporters outside the courthouse.

According to the court ruling, the accused must remain in pretrial detention until Jan. 26, when prosecutors will formally present the charges against the suspect — which have not yet been made public.

It was in Bio Bio that the blazes hit the hardest, reducing several small towns to ashes.

It has left a trail of destruction and at least 20 dead in the cities of Penco and Lirquen, ground zero for the tragedy. One other person died as the fires spread to other regions.

The Trinitarias fire, which the man is accused of sparking, was the first of several outbreaks in central and southern Chile.

As the days passed, it merged with two other fires, resulting in a massive wall of flames. In total, these fires have already ravaged more than 45,000 hectares (176 square miles) and left at least 21 dead and 305 injured, according to the most recent official figures.

There are about fifteen active megafires, also reported in the regions of Ñuble and La Araucania, in addition to Bio Bio.

Nearly 700 people remained in shelters on Friday, while more than 2,300 homes have been destroyed.

In terms of total area burned, these fires already far exceed what was consumed by the great Valparaiso and Viña del Mar fire in 2024, which devastated more than 8,500 hectares (33 square miles) and claimed 131 lives.

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