Chilean officials have extended "catastrophe areas" after forest fires in the country, while flash floods in the central Andean regions and nearby Bolivia became deadly.
In the region of La Araucania, which has been the most affected, two people have died because of the emergency, La Tercera reported. BioBio and Los Rios are two other nearby regions affected by the forest fires.
Chile extended the catastrophe declaration, which not only restricts liberties but grants authorities capacity to dispose of even privately-owned food supplies. It's a temporary month-long exemption because of emergencies in several parts of south central Chile due to fire.
Latest reports showed "139 fires of which 43 remain active, 47 were controlled and 49 were already extinguished," according to the government's Onemi agency for public safety.
While those areas are affected by fires, regions in the north have seen floods from heavy rain that have also been deadly.
According to Onemi, an agency of the Chilean Interior and Public Security ministry, parts of the country's northern highlands have seen flooding. Heavy storms in mountain areas filled with rocks often causes landslides.
Onemi officials confirmed one death in Arica. Hundreds have already been evacuated from some of the most vulnerable areas. Governments are providing temporary shelter.
A catastrophe declaration and state of constitutional exception are designed to create security in a vulnerable area by centralizing authority on a person designated by the president. Such declarations restrict civilian "freedom of movement, freedom of public meetings" and places temporary limits on property rights, as the authority in charge has powers to take all action necessary.