Chile Forest Fire Leaves at Least 11 Dead, 500 Homes Destroyed

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By Anita Li2014-04-13 16:56:29 UTC

A deadly forest fire in the port city of Valparaiso, Chile, has killed at least 11 people, and destroyed 500 homes, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said on Sunday.

More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from the area, according to the Associated Press. The fire ignited Saturday afternoon in a forested area above shacks on one of Valparaiso's hilltops, and grew rapidly after strong winds spread hot ash across the city, the AP reported.

See also: Animation Shows Massive Ripple of the Chile Earthquake Tsunami

This map shows the area surrounding Valparaiso:

Earlier on Sunday, Chilean authorities deployed 400 police offers to Valparaiso to help extinguish the fire. The Chilean police's official Twitter account has been providing regular updates on the situation since Saturday night.

"It's a tremendous tragedy, perhaps the worst fire [in the city's history]," Bachelet said, adding that the death toll and amount of damage are expected to increase. The president declared Valparaiso a catastrophe zone, and tasked Chile's military with keeping order, according to a Chilean government release.

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We've compiled images of the fire, below:

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Topics: chile, forest fire, US & World, World