Wildland-urban interface fires have become one of the main socio-environmental threats in Chile , especially in the south-central region, where more than 90% of these events occur . Between 2014 and 2023, large fires tripled compared to the previous decade, exceeding 1.7 million hectares burned.
A policy brief prepared by Global Wildfire Collective Partner Institution Center for Climate Science and Resilience (CR2) warns of shortcomings in evacuation procedures during large urban-rural interface fires—those that occur where populated areas border vegetation, forests, or rural land. The document proposes an evidence-based strategy, including safe routes, more precise alerts, and community participation, to reduce the risk of loss of life.
To address this challenge, an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Gabriela Azócar, Alejandro Miranda, Pablo Sarricolea, Ana María Ugarte, and Pilar Moraga—prepared the Policy Brief “Interface Fires and Evacuation: Towards an Evidence-Based Operational Framework ,” published by the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Development (VID).
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