By Alexander Villegas
CONCEPCION, Chile, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Fires near the southern Chilean city of Concepcion were dying down by Wednesday morning as cloudy weather and humid air brought cooler temperatures to the coastal region after days of extreme heat fueled the deadly blaze.
Plumes of smoke still lingered, and the current death toll of 20 is expected to rise as police and the state coroner searched for bodies in apartment blocks destroyed by the fires.
As searches continued, residents began clearing debris and rebuilding with aid mostly from neighbors and volunteers.
Carlos Lopez, a city councillor from nearby Cobquecura, gathered money, nails, wood, cement and other construction materials with help from local businesses and delivered them by truck to Punta de Parra, one of the hardest-hit areas that saw dozens of homes destroyed.
RESIDENT SAW 'DREAMS DISAPPEAR'
"We saw the desperation and the need and put our hand on our heart," Lopez said.
The truck ran out of wood before local resident Doralisa Silva, 34, could get any, but she received toys and jackets for her two-year-old daughter, Celeste. They were sheltering beneath metal sheets propped against a surviving cement wall.
"It was chaotic and painful, seeing all your dreams disappear overnight," Silva said.
When the fire broke out, Silva tried to flee the town with her daughter but exits were engulfed, forcing her to take refuge in a dirt field by their home.
Silva and other affected residents praised community help but criticized what they described as a lack of national government support.
"All the help we have right now has been from people who’ve delivered meals, food, everything," said neighbor Nancy Barrientos, 44, who called for tents, bathrooms or clear information from authorities.
MAYOR CRITICIZES SLOW RESPONSE
The mayor of nearby Penco, Rodrigo Vera, said local governments were restoring basic services such as electricity but echoed criticism of a slow national response.
"It took 12 hours to declare an emergency," Vera said, adding the delay had hindered deployment of military and firefighting resources. "Everything has been slow. People's pain isn't tomorrow, it was yesterday."
Outgoing President Gabriel Boric visited Concepcion on Sunday but not the destroyed communities, citing security concerns.
In Temuco on Tuesday, Boric said reconstruction would begin once searches for victims were complete and that emergency housing and financial aid were starting.
"We are working at maximum speed, but there are processes that must be respected," Boric said.
His office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Boric's government was criticized for a slow reconstruction following deadly fires in Valparaiso in 2024. President-elect Jose Antonio Kast, who takes office on March 11, has vowed to prioritize reconstruction in fire-hit communities.
"People are hungry and need a roof. This requires a different rhythm and political will," Vera said.
(Reporting by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Cassandra Garrison and Alison Williams)
