Forest fire currently raging above Valparaíso

[Donnybrook]

...or maybe they haven't modernized the system....here is what one bombero commented under the video: bomberos si recibimos dinero del estado casi la mayoria de los dineros,,,, no alcansa para mucho pero recibimos....los peajes no son del estado. son de las consecionarias......no solo bomberos pagan... tambien las ambulancias y carabineros...

Fire trucks with siren on go through the tolls free. All concessioned roads agree on this, although a cashier may be at fault and charge. I haven't heard of an incident for at least a couple of years though. Volunteer firemen in a private car on their way to a fire pay. Some smaller communities have managed to get a no pay agreement on this with a local toll or will reimburse a volunteer. That sort of thing is easier to oversee in smaller, rural communities. There is something in today's El Mercurio about fire companies denying they paid any toll on route 68 between Santiago and Valparaiso although there had been reports of it on social networks (i.e. internet gossip).

[keber]

Hi,
I'm raising funds to go in help of people affected by this disaster through this page: <LINK REMOVED> if you can help and spread the word will be fantastic.

[HybridAmbassador]

Hi,
I'm raising funds to go in help of people affected by this disaster through this page: <LINK REMOVED> if you can help and spread the word will be fantastic.

Not to doubt the veracity of your: _Fund_ but Iam not going to fund you...However my contribution would go through
Red cross Chile. My condolences/condolement to all families and kids of this fire ravaged area that lost their loved ones belongings and pets......

[svergas]

With so many fires around Chile why government does not get 3 of these planes and the whole country could be covered for fires?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVXACaeucJo

5300 liters dropped at once is great. With Valpo on the coast every 10 minutes on of these loads could be dropped on fire.

That fire could be out very quick if they had right tool.

[jamie_m]

or a couple of these bad boys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUywXnoItxw

9000+L, 60 seconds to fill.

[HybridAmbassador]

With so many fires around Chile why government does not get 3 of these planes and the whole country could be covered for fires?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVXACaeucJo

5300 liters dropped at once is great. With Valpo on the coast every 10 minutes on of these loads could be dropped on fire.

That fire could be out very quick if they had right tool.

Not quite enough...Once the dreaded Hydro explosion in Dai-ichi nuke plant, the Japanese self-defense army's many large helicopters were scooping water off near by ocean then dumping them constanly over and over again on the demolished blown off reactor's building's roof did not yield any favourable result..The fire kept on going albeit different heat sources..!

[svergas]

Hybridambassador

I understand what you are saying but reactor fire and forest city fires are completely different.

These plane do not need roads, they carry a lot of water and they refill very quickly. Lots of countries use them and they have proven to work great.
Chile has lots of fires and these would pay off very quickly.

[El Lechero]

Hi,
I'm raising funds to go in help of people affected by this disaster through this page: <LINK REMOVED> if you can help and spread the word will be fantastic.

Not to doubt the veracity of your: _Fund_ but Iam not going to fund you...However my contribution would go through
Red cross Chile. My condolences/condolement to all families and kids of this fire ravaged area that lost their loved ones belongings and pets......

The only sensible thing to do, through official channels, there was a report on the radio this afternoon of someone in Puerto Montt going around in a pick up collecting things for the victims and none of the officical agencies knew who it was, he may of just been trying to do a good deed which thy did admit, and then again , this is Chile where I have heard of worse things been done by low lifes, not that I am in any way implying anything just better safe than sorry.

[save the light]

img806a.JPG (16 KiB) Viewed 782 times

Taken 3:40 pm yesterday from the roof of a highrise, on the next hill to the one burning.

Lots of people taking pictures and video from balconies and other roofs.

On that other hill they were watering their roofs from the pipes, as the wind was rising, blowing the flames downhill.

[save the light]

img809a.JPG (13.35 KiB) Viewed 780 times

The same time. Another hill.

[Donnybrook]

No emergency vehicles have been charged tolls on Ruta 68.
http://www.biobiochile.cl/2014/04/14/ru ... ncia.shtml

Other vehicles connected with the fires have also been let through without payment, although they weren't in the original protocol:
"……..la Sociedad Concesionaria Rutas de Pacífico ha permitido el paso liberado de vehículos de las Fuerzas Armadas, de la Oficina Nacional de Emergencia (ONEMI) y vehículos particulares conducidos por bomberos y que son parte de alguna caravana que se dirija hacia dicha ciudad”.