Eleven dead, 1,000 homes destroyed, and thousands of people evacuated after fire destroys city in Chile now declared a 'catastrophe zone' by country's president

Valparaiso, a coastal city near the middle of Chile, has been declared a catastrophe zone after a huge fire sprang up yesterday afternoon. Thousands have been evacuated, while the Chilean president has declared the city a catastrophe zone, giving the army permission to step in and evacuate thousands from their homes in the blazing city.

• Huge fire started yesterday afternoon in Valparaiso, a coastal city 75 miles from Santiago
• Chilean president has declared the whole city a catastrophe zone and asked army to step in
• Some 5,000 people have been evacuated from their homes as the fire continues to rage

By Kieran Corcoran

Published: 12:29 GMT, 13 April 2014 | Updated: 16:56 GMT, 14 April 2014

A huge forest fire raging in a Chilean city has claimed eleven lives and destroyed 1,000 buildings.

Eleven deaths have already been confirmed as the catastrophic fire continues to engulf the port city of Valparaiso.

The armed forces have been called in to maintain law and order in the city while thousands of people were evacuated amid warnings that the death toll will rise further.

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Spreading: Sparks fly from burning trees and buildings, spreading the blaze around Valparaiso

Deaths: Eleven people have now been killed by the unrelenting fire

A view across Valparaiso showing scores of houses on fire. Authorities decreed a red alert for the area after the forest blaze consumed 100 houses in seconds

Devastation: The city of Valparaiso in Chile was engulfed by flame yesterday night

Blaze: Some 1,000 homes are now thought to have been destroyed by the fierce flamesStruggle: Firemen attempt to extinguish part of the extensive flames, which have now claimed four livesCatastrophe: The army has been drafted in to manage evacuations across the city

Huge numbers of homes - many in the steep hills around the city itself - as well as a women's prison were emptied of their residents in a bid to save them from the destruction.

Firefighters were having difficulty combating the blaze because of the topography of the city, which is surrounded by dozens of steep hills where most people live.

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President Michelle Bachelet has declared the city a catastrophe zone, which allows the army to step in and take charge of the evacuations.

Ricardo Bravo, the area's regional governor, called the blaze 'the worst disaster I have seen.'

He said: 'Now we fear that the fire will spread to the centre of the city, which would increase the severity of the emergency.'

A dramatic shot shows people looking on as a huge forest fire destroys hundreds of homes in the Chilean town

A man holding a shovel attempts to extinguish the flames as the fire roars behind him

Evacuated: Thousands of people - including all the female inmates of a prison - have been evacuated in the blaze

Struggles: The governor of the region declared the disaster the worst he had ever seen

A group of firefighters stand next to burning homes as a forest fire rages towards urban areasOminous: Firefighters are struggling to combat the blaze as it advances through the hillsides

Two of the dead are thought to be elderly people found by volunteer firefighters. No further details about them or the other victims were given.

However, there was hope that the disaster could be approaching a turning point, as a spokesman for the Chilean government said the blaze was 'a little more under control than Saturday night'.

Thick clouds of smoke surrounded the city's prison and nine pregnant inmates were transferred to a detention facility in the nearby city of Quillota. Prison authorities were evacuating another 204 female inmates to a sports arena.

The remaining 2,700 male inmates will stay at the prison for the time being, prison guard commander Tulio Arce said.

Scale: The fire started yesterday afternoon and has already led to 5,000 evacuations

Destroyed: Firefighters investigate homes which have been devastated by the fire

A woman rummages through the ruins of what it was her home - which was destroyed by the blaze overnight

A group of people try to save items from their home today after the fire ripped through the surrounding area

A man shovels through debris and rubble to search for his belongings

Valparaiso Mayor Jorge Castro said shelters for those forced to flee have been set up. He also warned that the city was experiencing cuts to the electricity supply.

While firefighters, police and forest rangers battled the blaze, Chilean marines in combat gear patrolled streets in the city to maintain order and prevent looting.

The fire started yesterday in hills on the edge of the city and spread rapidly because of strong winds. Hot ash rained down on the city early today, causing respiratory problems among the population, especially children and the elderly.

Valparaiso is about 75 miles north west of the capital, Santiago.

Residents walk among the ruins of houses following the blaze. It is thought up to 500 homes were destroyed in the fire

A family look a what appears to be a sink as they look through what is left of their home

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2603610/Four-dead-1-000-homes-destroyed-forest-fire-rages-Chilean-port-city.html#ixzz2yofPrxRq