December 25, 2019  20H:22  GMT/ZULU
Media captionWatch wildfires engulf houses in Valparaíso
by Renee Celeste and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Santiago, Chile
At least 150 houses have been destroyed by fast-moving woodland fires in the Chilean city of Valparaíso.
The fires, which spread through the Rocuant and San Roque hills, reached two poor residential areas and were still burning on Christmas Day. There have been no reports of any casualties.
High summer temperatures and strong winds helped spread the flames.
Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel said evidence gathered so far indicated the fires had been started deliberately.
People react next to the debris of their house following the spread of wildfires in Valparaiso, Chile, 24 December 2019Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionResidents returned to see the charred remains of their homes
Power was cut to about 90,000 customers in the area as a precautionary measure. Two schools were turned into shelters for the affected residents, who were forced to flee in the middle of Christmas Eve celebrations.
Mayor Jorge Sharp said a state of emergency had been declared in the city, some 100km (62 miles) from the capital, Santiago.
A video posted on social media showed a car next to where a fire started. Prosecutors were investigating the footage as well as reports from residents that cars were seen in the hills affected moments before the fires began, Emol website reports.
Houses burn in Valparaíso, Chile. Photo: 24 December 2019Image copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGES
Image captionA number of houses were gutted by the fires
A firefighter tackles a blaze in Valparaíso. Chile. Photo: 24 December 2019Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionAll of Valparaíso's firefighters were deployed
Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker visited the areas and admitted that the firefighters were struggling to contain the fires.
Nearly 120 hectares (445 acres) of grassland have already been ravaged.
A helicopter drops water on a forest fire in Valparaíso, Chile. Photo: 24 December 2019Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionFirefighting helicopters have also been deployed
People stand next to their personal belongings in Valparaíso, Chile. Photo: 24 December 2019Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionResidents have desperately tried to salvage their personal belongings in the festive period
On Twitter, President Sebastián Piñera said: "We deeply regret the fire that affects so many families in the hills of Valparaíso and especially on Christmas Eve."
Valparaíso, in central Chile, is one of country's largest cities and a major port on the Pacific. It is also a popular tourist destination in South America.
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