By Ruby Wool and Zachary Jones Neuray

In the wake of Chile’s devastating February fires, a tale of resilience emerges as communities grapple with loss, rebuild from the ashes, and confront the looming specter of recurring disasters amidst governmental challenges and environmental devastation.

The Chilean flag blows firmly in front of Magdalena del Carmen Sanchez Arredondohad, Ruby Wool and Zachary Jones Neuray, who stand on the stoop of Arredondohad’s newly built home.

Viña del Mar, Chile —

Described as one of the worst environmental disasters in Chile in the past 30 years, the February wildfires in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso were described by President Gabriel Boric as “the biggest human tragedy” since an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the South American country in 2010, killing more than 500 people. Typically protected by the ocean breeze, the touristy coastal towns, about 75 miles from Chile’s capital, would become the epicenter of a deadly combination of extreme drought and winds. In the Valparaíso Region alone, the raging inferno affected 36,273 acres of land ultimately killing 130 people and leaving at least 370 reportedly missing. The intense fires devastated entire neighborhoods, such as Magdalena del Carmen Sanchez Arredondohad’s hometown community of Quilpué. 

On the evening of Feb. 2, forest fires burned Arredondohad’s family home to the blackened soil. What once stood as a strong hilltop structure, surrounded by animals and neighbors overlooking the South Pacific Ocean, was razed. 

“I lost my home, a piece of my heart that I had for 62 years,” Arredondohad said, as she recounted the terror of watching her family home “disappear into a black cloud of smoke.”

Since the blaze seized her house, Arredondohad has relocated roughly 200 yards from her old address. Her new home is wedged on the bank between the concrete road of Calle Limache and the steel rails of the Valparaiso Regional Metro train tracks. Arredondohad’s son, who is 31 years old and has special needs, built the house in less than two weeks. He constructed a complete plywood structure with four rooms separated by colorful tapestries and tarps as makeshift doorways. 

Once his mother’s was completed, the son began his second and third projects — building adjacent homes for his cousin and himself. The properties are all established just a few feet from each other. In a month, the abandoned bank became a neighborhood block belonging to a family forced to frantically escape from lethal flames.

“I will continue to live in this moment with my family, and I will not leave,” Arredondohad said, despite the “horror” and “pain” she faced three months ago. She will stay put in a familiar place, a mere two-minute drive from the National Botanical Garden of Viña del Mar. 

The garden, which encompasses nearly 1,000 acres and stores a rare selection of 789 native and endangered Chilean plants, is one of the most celebrated natural sites in the region. However, charred ancient oak trees are now strewn across the garden’s perimeter, a stark reminder of the blaze that burned 98% of the garden alongside the region’s surrounding valleys. According to one of the rangers, several months of work remain to clear the debris and restore the garden to its former lush, green state. In the meantime, visitors have returned to the 107-year-old garden to explore the enduring rich landscape that the rangers are currently revitalizing. 

Touring the botanical garden with his Australian cousins, Rene Marina, a native of Viña del Mar, spoke about the chronic fear of fire gripping his community. 

“It’s very scary, everyone here lives with fear,” Marina said. “The fires can get you anywhere.”

Aside from the concerns and consequences associated with the wildfires, Marina spoke about the region’s efforts to implement temporary housing projects and shelters for the reported 5,474 families displaced by the disaster. According to the Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED) only 25 emergency housing units have been constructed in the Valparaíso Region despite receiving 298 requests. Arredondohad and her family members’ requests were among those unfulfilled.

“If this happens again, every year will be the same,” Marina said. “Every summer, we will have to get ready to escape and relocate. We’ve had fires two years in a row now. I hope there isn’t a third.”