Chile Declares Emergency as Wildfires Kill 19

Are Chile's wildfires the result of a climate crisis fueled by systemic neglect, or the product of coordinated arson?

Published 17 hours ago

Chile Declares Emergency as Wildfires Kill 19

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Above: Destroyed homes after a wildfire in Concepcion, Chile, on Jan. 18. Image credit: Raul BRAVO/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Climate activist narrative

Chile's wildfires are part of an unfolding climate catastrophe, exacerbated by decades of government policies that have left communities without the basic infrastructure needed to mitigate this risk. Having been born of fossil fuel emissions and capitalist neglect, this tragedy demands an environmentalist and socialist solution to resolve it.

World Socialist Web Site

Climate-skeptic narrative

Climate change is not the main cause of wildfires; instead, the fuel present on the ground is what matters. Wildfires, much larger than those we see today, have been a natural part of the environment for time immemorial. Their occurrence can be attributed to a simple combination of dry weather and abundant dry kindling, both of which are prevalent in Chile.

Mackinac Center