STORY: At least 16 people died in forest fires that swept through Chile's Bio Bio and Nuble regions over the weekend, according to Public Security Minister Luis Cordero on Sunday (January 18).

Cordero told reporters on Sunday morning that 15 deaths had been confirmed in the region of Bío Bío alone, bringing the total death toll to 16 after the government confirmed a death in Ñuble on Saturday (January 17).

Drone footage showed extensive damage across the region, with burned buildings, homes, and forest areas, while residents surveyed the destruction of their neighborhoods.

Cordero emphasized that evacuation alerts sent through the SAE system have been critical, with more than 87 messages dispatched to protect people at risk as fires continue to spread. The death toll may rise as specialized teams from Carabineros, investigative police, and firefighters complete assessments of fire-affected zones once it is safe to access them.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: AERIAL VIEWS OF BURNED BUILDINGS AND FORESTS IN BIO-BIO REGION / RESIDENTS SURVEYING DESTRUCTION / SOUNDBITES FROM PUBLIC SECURITY MINISTER AND FIRE VICTIM

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: RESENDING SCRIPT TO MAKE CLEAR DEATH TOLL IS AT LEAST 16

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BIO BIO REGION, CHILE (JANUARY 18, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF BURNT NEIGHBORHOOD AND SMOKE

2. DRONE SHOT OF BURNT FOREST

SANTIAGO DE CHILE, CHILE (JANUARY 18, 2026) (SENAPRED HANDOUT - Access all)

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PUBLIC SECURITY MINISTER, LUIS CORDERO, SAYING:

"In the case of Bio Bio, we can confirm through the investigative police and Carabineros that we have 15 deceased people, and when we refer to this, these are people who have been identified in designated locations, and measures are being taken together with the prosecutor's office to isolate the crime scene."

BIO BIO REGION, CHILE (JANUARY 18, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

4. (NIGHT SHOT) VARIOUS OF FOREST AREAS BURNING

5. VARIOUS OF FOREST AREAS BURNING

6. VARIOUS OF BURNING HOUSES

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT AFFECTED BY FIRE IN PENCO, JOSE DOMINGO, SAYING:

"We arrived a short while ago, and there's just destruction. It was totally destroyed, the entire neighborhood."

7. BURNT VEHICLES

8. AFFECTED RESIDENT REMOVING CANS FROM HIS DESTROYED HOME

9. POLICE OFFICERS ASSESSING DAMAGE