More than one million acres in the center and south of Chile have gone up in flames since July 2016, with almost 70% of the destruction occurring last month. The affected area is larger than the state of Rhode Island. At least 11 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed.

Forest fires during the hot, dry Chilean summer are not uncommon. But Socialist President Michelle Bachelet’s anti-market ideology may be exacerbating the situation.

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