El Abra Contributions Help Rebuild the Homes and Lives of Families Who ‘Lost Everything’ in 2023 Forest Fires

April 3, 2024 - Families who lost their homes last year in devastating forest fires in the Araucania region in Chile are moving into new houses built with the help of a donation from Freeport-McMoRan’s El Abra operation.

In all, 48 fully furnished houses were built through a partnership between the Chilean Mining Council and the local government, 42 in the town of Purén and six in Vilcún. Both are communities made up largely of indigenous families.

The inauguration ceremony for the newly completed homes was held earlier this month.

A total of $2.5 million was raised to rebuild the homes, half of which came from mining company donations that were arranged by the Mining Council. The rest came from the regional government of Araucanía.

Freeport’s El Abra and Santiago operations contributed $100,000 to the project to rebuild the homes lost in the fires that burned through the region in February 2023. The fires destroyed about 2,000 houses and left 25 people dead. The reconstruction of the houses began a year ago. They were built at no cost to the families that received them.

"It’s very exciting and gratifying to witness how the collaboration between the public and private sector and the mining industry is able to deliver such an important project,” said Claudia Corvalán, Public Affairs Manager for Freeport-McMoRan-Chile. “Families who lost everything in terrible forest fires last year are here today receiving excellent quality houses that will improve their quality of life.”

Verónica Negrón, who received one of the houses, said she never imagined she would be given a new house after her old one burned down.

“From a tragedy, we are now blessed,” Negrón said. “Me and my neighbors have all lived in this area for over 30 years. I lost everything in the fire, everything that I had after years of sacrifice. But now I´m happy."

Humberto Colipi, who also received a new house, said that after 50 years in the area he was forced to live in a wooden shack through the winter after his home was destroyed.

“I can´t believe my new house and can´t describe how happy I am, how happy we all are,” he said.

Photos (left to right): Freeport-McMoRan’s El Abra operation helped fund 48 fully furnished new houses to replace those lost in two Chilean communities in forest fires last year; Local families gathered with mining industry and government representatives to dedicate new houses for families of two small communities devastated by forest fires last year.