Original title: “We will get through this as always” (theme)
——A visit to a forest fire area in Chile (subtitle)
Xinhua News Agency, Viña del Mar, Chile, February 13 (Reporter Zhu Yubo) “This used to be my home.” Luis Biar said, pointing to a bare open space behind him.
At the beginning of this month, Chile’s worst forest fires in recent years swept through many places in the Valparaiso region in the central part of the country, killing at least 130 people and destroying about 15,000 houses. The coastal city of Viña del Mar, where Biar is located, was the hardest hit. With the fire under control, post-disaster reconstruction work is progressing.
The reporter recently drove 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 limits, the mountains on both sides of the road burned by the fire were gray and black, and the smell of coke was pungent.
In one neighborhood, as far as the eye can see are ruins destroyed by fire. The narrow streets were occupied by construction vehicles. People took up the task of clearing the rubble. Electricians were working at high altitudes to repair burnt cables. Disaster relief workers went from house to house asking victims about their needs.
On February 8, people worked together to clean up the rubble in the fire-stricken areas of Viña del Mar, Chile. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Yubo)
Bial took the reporter around a courtyard wall and came to an open space, which was originally the location of his house. The front courtyard door had deformed due to high temperatures and could no longer be opened with a key.
“When I heard the fire alarm that day, the fire was still some distance away from here, but soon the fire came with the wind. When I opened the door, I saw that a house on the top floor was already on fire.” Biar said.
Bial, 69, has lived here for 60 years. After his mother passed away in 2019, he has lived alone until now. He loves music and has many musical instruments and stereos at home.
Bial tried to put out the fire, but to no avail. “I really can’t stand the high temperature. There are fires everywhere. I can’t do anything but watch the house burn down.” At this point, Biar choked up.
After calming down a little, he told reporters that many people were homeless like him, but they were not knocked down by the disaster. “People are helping each other, people are distributing food and water, people from all over Chile are coming to help.”
On February 8, people distributed drinking water in fire-stricken areas in Viña del Mar, Chile. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Yubo)
Walking out of Biar’s yard, a pickup truck was parked on the corner of the street. A dozen young people who came to help with the disaster relief were sitting in the truck or resting against the side of the truck. The reporter asked them where they were from, San Bernardo, Santiago, Maipu… They named each place with pride in their tone.
Maximiliano Rojas, who works at the Social Development Office of Viña del Mar, told reporters that soon after the fire was extinguished, many affected families began to clean up the rubble on their own initiative.
On February 8, people worked together to clean up the rubble in the fire-stricken areas of Viña del Mar, Chile. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Yubo)
On the 8th, the Chilean government announced the launch of the National Reconstruction Fund, which will encourage all walks of life to donate money and materials to disaster-stricken areas through tax exemptions. The government will also provide direct relief to families in disaster areas based on the disaster situation.
Rojas said that there are a large number of simple houses built on the hills in Viña del Mar. The materials are flammable and accelerate the spread of fires. In addition, the terrain here is complex, making it difficult for some people to escape quickly when a fire breaks out.
Chile is one of the countries with the most frequent natural disasters in the world, which has also shaped the resilient character of Chileans. In the same neighborhood, a fire destroyed resident Luis Vargas’ home but failed to take away his sense of humor. He was clearing debris with his family when a reporter asked if he could record the scene in his vacant lot. Not only did he readily agree, but he also joked: “Please clean the soles of your shoes before you come in.”
After recording, the accompanying video reporter controlled the drone to rise into the air. From a bird’s eye view, amid the bright sunshine and the smoke and dust of post-disaster cleanup in this coastal city, people are everywhere trying to rebuild their homes. “We will get through this as always,” Vargas said.
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2024-02-13 15:07:00
