Chile forest fire death toll reaches 16, state of emergency declared.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of emergency in the Biobio and Nuble regions of southern Chile due to two dozen active forest fires, which have forced over 50,000 people to evacuate and resulted in at least 16 deaths. The armed forces have been mobilized to assist in containing the blazes, with the majority of evacuations occurring in the cities of Penco and Lirquen. Unfavorable weather conditions, including extreme temperatures, are expected to complicate firefighting efforts in the coming days. This marks a significant challenge for the region, which has previously faced devastating forest fires in recent years.

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