VIÑA del MA, Chile, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) --We will continue to get through this" – a visit to the Chilean forest fire zone.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Yubo.
This used to be my home. Luis Biall said, pointing to a bare void behind him.
Earlier this month, Chile's worst forest fires in recent years swept through several parts of the Valparaiso region in the central part of the country, killing at least 130 people, or about 150,000 houses were destroyed. Biar's coastal town of Viña del Mar was the hardest hit and reconstruction efforts are underway as the fires are brought under control.
A few days ago, this reporter drove northwest from Santiago, the capital of Chile, and arrived in Viña del Mar after driving northwest for about an hour and a half. After entering the city boundary, the mountains on both sides of the blazing road are gray-black, and the smell of char is pungent.
In one neighborhood, there are ruins destroyed by fire as far as the eye can see. The already small streets are occupied by construction vehicles, people relay to clear the rubble, electricians work at high ground to repair burned cables, and disaster relief workers go from house to house to ask about the needs of the victims.
Bial took the reporter around a courtyard wall to a clearing where his house was originally located, and the front door was deformed by the heat and could no longer be opened with a key.
When I heard the fire alarm that day, the fire was still some distance away, but soon the fire came with the wind, and when I opened the door, I saw that a house on the top floor was already on fire. Bial said.
The 69-year-old has lived here for 60 years. After his mother's death in 2019, he has been living alone ever since. He loves **, and has a lot of musical instruments and stereos at home.
Bial had tried to extinguish the fire, but to no avail. "I just couldn't stand the heat, there was fire everywhere and there was nothing I could do but watch the house burn down. At this, Bial choked up.
After calming down a little, he told reporters that many people were as homeless as he was, but they were not knocked down by the disaster. "People are solidarity, there are people who distribute food and drinking water, people from all over Chile who come to help. ”
Walking out of Biar's yard, a pickup truck was parked on the corner of the street, and more than a dozen young people who had come to help with the relief were either sitting in the car body or leaning on the side of the car to rest. The reporter asked them from **, San Bernardo, Santiago, Maipu, ......They reported the names of places one by one, and their tones were full of pride.
Maximiliano Rojas, who works at the Social Development Office of the municipality of Viña del Mar, told reporters that soon after extinguishing the fire, many affected families began to clean up the rubble spontaneously.
On the 8th, Chile** announced the start of national reconstruction**, encouraging all sectors of society to donate money and materials to the disaster area through tax reductions and exemptions. **Relief payments will also be provided directly to families in the affected areas, depending on the situation of the disaster.
Rojas said there are a large number of improvised houses built in Viña del Mar with flammable materials that accelerate the spread of fires. In addition, the terrain is difficult, making it difficult for some people to flee quickly in the event of a fire.
Chile is one of the countries most prone to natural disasters in the world, which has shaped the resilience of Chileans. In the same neighborhood, the fire destroyed the home of resident Luis Vargas, but did not take away his sense of humor. When the reporter asked if he could record the appearance in the open space of his home, he was cleaning up the rubble with his family. Not only did he readily agree, but he also joked: "Clean the soles of your shoes before you come in." ”
After the recording, the ** reporter who accompanied the drone was lifted into the air. From a bird's eye view, the sunshine and smoke of this coastal city are filled with people trying to rebuild their homes. "We will get through this as always. Vargas said. (ENDS).