[SUP]Residents walk down a road in Hualane as fires burn out of control in the forests around the town. The man on the right can be seen shielding himself from the heat[/SUP]
An official 'state of catastrophe' has been declared in central Chile as crews fought vast forest fires described as the worst in decades.
More than 175 square miles are ablaze in a region just south of the capital, Santiago.
As fire crews were brought in to the O'Higgins region, 200 people were evacuated.
Thirty homes were threatened in Cardenal Caro and Colchagua provinces, according to the country's National Emergency Office.
Interior Minister Mario Fernandez said helicopters and planes in particular were required to drop fire retardant liquid onto forests in the path of the blaze.
It is not known what caused the fire to break out but January is the height of Chile's summer and the forests are tinder-dry after several weeks without rain.