The National Service for Prevention and Response to Disasters (Senapred) activated a red alert in the Tiltil commune, Metropolitan Region, due to a forest fire threatening homes and affecting three houses. The incident, named El Bajo, spread rapidly amid a heatwave. Eight people were displaced, though without serious injuries.
On the afternoon of Saturday, November 22, 2025, a forest fire named El Bajo was reported after 1:00 p.m. in Tiltil, a commune in the Metropolitan Region. According to the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf), the fire initially affected five hectares at 2:07 p.m., but spread to 10 hectares with rapid propagation and high intensity at the advancing front. The imminent threat to homes, people, and critical infrastructure prompted Senapred to declare a red alert, enabling the mobilization of necessary resources to control the situation given its extent and severity.
In the Polpaico sector, Firefighters requested activation of the Emergency Alert System (SAE), and Senapred called for preventive evacuation of the area, urging the population to act calmly, follow authority instructions, and consider their pets. On site, four brigades, three helicopters, one tanker plane, and one Conaf tanker truck worked alongside Firefighters personnel. Changes in wind direction complicated the efforts.
Mayor César Mena reported that three homes were completely burned, leaving eight people displaced. 'No one was injured, only one of the house owners has respiratory problems, and he was taken to Tiltil hospital, but he's stable,' he stated. The communal emergency team coordinated shelter for the affected families. Mena noted that the causes are unknown, but the fire started in grasslands without firebreaks, allowing it to grow toward the houses. By evening, the fire was under control, and authorities are assessing how to assist the neighbors.
The incident occurred amid high temperatures, with forecasts of up to 32°C in the north of the capital according to the Chilean Meteorological Directorate (DMC).