CONCEPCION, Chile: Wildfires in Chile have left at least ​19 people dead, authorities said on Monday, as the government carried out mass evacuations and fought nearly two dozen blazes exacerbated by intense heat and high winds.

While weather conditions overnight helped control some fires, the largest were still active, with adverse conditions expected throughout the day, security minister, ‌Luis Cordero, said at ‌a news briefing on ‌Monday.

“The ⁠projection ​we ‌have today is of high temperatures,” Cordero said, and the main worry was that new fires would be triggered throughout the region.

Parts of central and southern Chile were under extreme heat warnings with temperatures expected to reach up to 37 Celsius (99 Fahrenheit).

STATE OF EMERGENCY ⁠DECLARED IN NUBLE, BIO BIO