Authorities Use Crowd Control Equipment to Fight Wildfires in Chile

Police used a water cannon vehicle to battle a blaze in Ninhue, Chile, on Sunday, February 5, as deadly wildfires killed at least 24 people across the country.

Footage posted to Twitter by the Carabineros Región de Ñuble shows a “water-spraying tactical car,” known locally as a “ballena” or whale, being used to fight the fire. Such vehicles have been used by Chilean authorities for crowd control during street protests.

At least 24 people were killed and more than 800 homes destroyed as a result of more than 200 active wildfires, the Interior Ministry said. Multiple evacuation notices were in place across the Maule, Bio Bio, Nuble, and Araucania regions, according to reports.

Chile’s National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED) issued an evacuation warning for the sectors of “Llahuen, San Francisco, Los Maquis, Boquihue, in the commune of Portezuelo, Ñuble Region,” on Sunday. Credit: Carabineros Región de Ñuble via Storyful

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