SANTIAGO, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chile is battling eight forest fires and has contained another 25, which have together destroyed more than 4,400 hectares in the country's central and southern regions, the Interior and Public Security Ministry's National Emergency Office (Onemi) said Wednesday.

The biggest ongoing blaze has already razed 309 hectares in Palmilla, a commune in the O'Higgins Region to the south of the capital Santiago, said the Onemi.

The largest fire contained, but not extinguished, has destroyed 1,915 hectares since it was detected on Dec. 6 in the communes of Lolol and Santa Cruz, also in O'Higgins.

A forest fire in the central Santiago Metropolitan Region left one person dead and five injured, and destroyed 46 homes and 659 hectares.

Chile's meteorological agency issued an alert on Tuesday for seven of the country's 16 regions due to high temperatures that have sparked dozens of forest fires.

The alert lasts until Friday and applies to the Metropolitan region, which is home to more than 7 million people. Enditem

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