Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two regions in the south of the country on Sunday as raging wildfires forced at least 20,000 people to evacuate and left at least 18 people dead, Reuters reported. 

According to Chile's CONAF forestry agency, firefighters were battling 24 active fires across the country as of Sunday morning, with the largest being in the regions of Ñuble and Bío Bío, where the government declared the emergency. The regions are about 500 km south of the capital, Santiago.

"In light of the serious ongoing wildfires, I have decided to declare a state of catastrophe in the regions of Ñuble and Biobío. All resources are available," Boric said on a post on X, according to Reuters.