A sweeping power blackout left most of Chile in darkness for several hours.

Chile's president says intense forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have caused at least 46 deaths, and officials say at least 1,100 homes had been destroyed.

Chile extended an emergency declaration to yet another region on Saturday as firefighters continued to struggle to control dozens of raging wildfires that have claimed at least 22 lives in the midst of a scorching heat wave that has broken records.