7 dead in Chile amid struggle to contain raging wildfires

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — At least seven people have died as a result of the more than 150 wildfires burning across Chile that have destroyed homes and thousands of acres of forest while the South American is in the midst of a heat wave. Four of the deaths took place in the Biobío region, around 350 miles south of the capital of Santiago. The fifth victim was a firefighter who was run over by a fire truck while combatting the blaze in the area. Separately, a helicopter that was helping combat the flames crashed in the Araucanía region, killing the pilot and a mechanic. As of midday Friday, 151 wildfires were burning throughout Chile, including 65 declared under control.