Wildfires cause property damage and injuries in Peru and Chile

A forest fire in the Chupamarca district of Huancavelica, Peru, has injured four people due to smoke inhalation. The blaze destroyed the home of district mayor Agripino Gustavo Pauyac Huaraca and threatened a local school housing approximately 30 students, as well as pine plantations. Residents reported that strong winds aided the fire's spread from the San Juan River area toward inhabited zones, forcing evacuations. Local inhabitants have requested provincial and regional assistance to manage the emergency.

In Mulchén, Chile, a separate fire in the Villa Los Esteros neighborhood destroyed two homes on Friday night. Emergency teams, including the Second Company of the Mulchén Fire Department and Carabineros, responded to the blaze, which was in a state of free combustion. While no injuries were reported, authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and monitored a brief flare-up the following morning.