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Four More Arrested for Mega-Fire in Valparaíso

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New apprehensions point to an organization behind the tragedy that claimed 136 lives.

The Environmental and Cultural Heritage Crimes Investigation Brigade (Bidema) of the Investigative Police (PDI), in coordination with the Prosecutor's Office, arrested four more individuals for their alleged involvement in the devastating mega-fire that ravaged the communes of Viña del Mar, Quilpué, and Villa Alemana.

Among those arrested are three workers from the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) and a volunteer from the Fire Department.

Fire prosecutor Osvaldo Ossandón led the operations that resulted in these arrests, bringing the total number of individuals detained in connection with the disaster—which left thousands affected and approximately 140 dead—to seven. The detainees are suspected of being part of an organization involved in at least 20 fires, including the one that devastated Greater Valparaíso.

The Valparaíso Guarantee Court has extended the investigation for another month, while lawyer Felipe Olea, representing the victims, has expressed his anticipation regarding these developments, emphasizing the importance of identifying all those responsible behind this "macabre scenario."

The community hopes these arrests will be a significant step toward justice for the victims and their families and that the causes behind one of the worst disasters in Chile's recent history will be clarified.