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4-Year Sentence for Perpetrator of Devastating Viña del Mar Fire

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• Mario Andrés Campos Jop received a four-year prison sentence for causing the blaze that claimed two lives and left over a thousand victims in December 2022.

The Oral Criminal Trial Court of Viña del Mar handed down a four-year prison sentence to Mario Andrés Campos Jop, the individual responsible for the massive fire that struck the commune in December 2022. The fire, which resulted in two fatalities, 200 injuries, and 410 damaged homes, also led to Campos being sentenced to two additional penalties of 540 days for quasi-offenses of homicide.

The ruling, issued unanimously by judges Claudio Espinoza Asenjo, Roxana Valenzuela Reyes, and Felipe Ortiz de Zárate Fernández, determined that Campos, 56, started the fire at his residence located on a hillside near the Nueva Esperanza settlement. The flames spread rapidly, affecting not only numerous homes but also protected areas such as the Palmar El Salto Nature Sanctuary and the Vergara Park and Palace, causing heritage damages estimated at nearly 496 million pesos.

In addition to the prison sentence, Campos was ordered to pay a fine of 10 monthly tax units. Specialized fire prosecutor Osvaldo Ossandón explained that the penalty imposed on Campos is a "composite sentence" and represents the maximum allowed under the Forest Law for negligent fires. Despite the severity of the incident, the defendant had no prior criminal record.

The case has deeply shaken the Viña del Mar community, particularly among the victims' families and those affected. The tragedy has highlighted the need for stricter fire prevention measures and the protection of residential areas near forested zones.

The sentencing sets an important precedent in the fight against wildfires caused by negligence and is expected to serve as a deterrent to prevent future disasters of this nature.