As fires in Chile burn, a mobile clinic fights to save furry survivors

LIRQUÉN, Chile (AP) — Some are frightened, others are dehydrated, most are burned. In order to provide aid to the furry friends and other animals affected by the raging fires in Chile, the national police's canine brigade and teams of volunteers are working against the clock to provide first aid to the pets caught by flames.

“Our main goal is to help animals that have been rescued, found in the rubble, in the ash, or that managed to escape with their owners but suffered injuries due to this massive fire,” Angiella Scalpello, a veterinarian from the canine squad of the investigative police, told The Associated Press.

Inside a small van, Scalpello and other veterinarians are treating cats, dogs and other animals in a makeshift clinic. Almost all of them arrive with burned whiskers and paws, thirsty or suffering from conjunctivitis — caused by the toxic fumes — after spending days under the debris of what once were houses, vehicles or schools.

The small town of Lirquén in south-central Chile was ground zero for the devastating fires that have been burning for days. With around 20,000 inhabitants, the fire consumed 80% of the city. Nationwide, the fires have left at least 20 dead and nearly 300 injured, official data shows.

Many of the furry patients treated in the mobile unit were found in the aftermath of the deadly fires.

“We usually find cats that were sheltering in small corners and that survived both the fire and the days that followed,” said veterinarian Juan Vivanco, who also works in the unit.

Although the blaze is for now under control in Lirquén, the strong smell of burning and fine ash dust still cover its narrow streets. While the town assesses the damage and debris removal efforts continue, more animals are expected to be rescued in the coming days, according to Vivanco.

But the longer they wait, the less likely they are to survive. “We’ve also found several pets already deceased… it happens regularly,” he said.

Once they arrive at the mobile unit, the pets receive IV fluids, a vital signs checkup and have their wounds taken care of. The most severe cases are sent to veterinary hospitals.

“We’ve transported four or five puppies, in addition to three kittens. The last kitten we brought in yesterday (Monday) really touched us, because it had all four paws and its tail burned,” said volunteer Vanessa Morales. “We took it to an emergency center.”

Many residents also go to the mobile clinic seeking help for their pets who are suffering from stress or injuries.

Little dog Chica managed to escape the flames thanks to her family’s quick thinking when they evacuated their home last Sunday. The house was completely destroyed, but the family were safe and sound despite sustaining minor injuries. However, the senior poodle began to experience some discomfort in her eyes, so her owner Kevin Carrasco decided to seek professional help.

“I noticed her eyes were a little sore, with some discharge, so I looked for help, and luckily there was a veterinarian here who gave me some drops for her and some gauze to clean them, because she had conjunctivitis,” he said.

Other residents, like Yasna Hidalgo, come to the clinic seeking information in an attempt to find pets that have been missing amid the panic and chaos that broke when the fires started to reach homes.

“I’m looking for my 85-year-old grandmother’s two dogs. She had to leave in a hurry, and the house was completely destroyed,” she said.

In the last three days, the nearly 20,000 residents of Lirquén have been the most affected by the fierce Trinitarias fire, which has already consumed more than 140 square kilometers (54 square miles) in the Bío Bío region and is the most devastating among the 30 fires currently burning in the country.

This is already considered one of the most serious emergencies in recent years in Chile, after massive wildfires left more than 130 dead two years ago.

Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate over the weekend, and in the process, many also lost their beloved pets. Some were forced by the authorities to leave their homes, as was the case of student María Paz, 21.

“Everything burned, we lost everything. All 200 houses in our town burned down,” she recalled. “People died, families died, neighbors died, and many animals died, including my little kitten.”

A member of the Gonzalez family pets his dog after the family's home caught fire during wildfires in Lirquen, Chile, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Torres)

A dog burned by wildfires stands in Lirquen, Chile, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Torres)

A police officer carries a dog named Negra to a mobile veterinary clinic in area damaged by wildfires in Lirquen, Chile, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Torres)

Veterinarian Angiella Scalpello tends to a cat named Lunar in a mobile veterinary clinic run by the Chilean Investigative Police in an area damaged by wildfires, in Lirquen, Chile, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Torres)

A woman holds a cat rescued after wildfires swept through homes near Lirquen, Chile, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Torres)

DENVER (AP) — Brent Burns took a wayward stick to the face while playing for San Jose in October 2013 that ended up costing him teeth and time on the ice.

Since his return — Nov. 21, 2013, to be precise — he's been a permanent fixture in every lineup. Burns, now 41 years old and with the Colorado Avalanche, is set to play in his 1,000th straight regular-season game Saturday at Dallas.

The bearded blueliner has skated through the bumps and bruises that come with delivering checks and deflecting slap shots. So much so that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar can’t wait to one day sit down with Burns and discuss all the ailments that may have kept many a player sidelined for days, weeks and maybe even months.

“He plays through them like it’s not a big deal,” said Bednar, whose team currently owns the NHL's top seed with eight games remaining, including the pivotal contest with the Stars (six points back). “(The streak) is an incredible accomplishment. It’s hard to believe.”

For Burns, it's a streak that's involved plenty of good fortune along the way.

“You've got pucks flying around your head that you don’t see, skates popping up, guys falling on the ice,” Burns said Friday after practice. "There are so many little things that happen 100 times a game. Or you look at your visor after a game, it’s all marked up. It’s a tough game.

"It’s special to think back about some of the games that I went through that I probably shouldn’t have been (in), but I think that’s what makes it special, too. ... A lot of luck — probably why I hate talking about it.”

Burns, who turned 41 on March 9, joined the Avalanche on a one-year deal this season to chase the only thing missing from his resume — a Stanley Cup title.

He's become another leader/mentor on the Avalanche. He still chips in goals, too, on a high-scoring team that boasts Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas. Burns has 11 tallies this season, joining Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom as the only defensemen in league history to notch double-digit goals at 40 or older.

But Burns' specialty remains putting his 6-foot-5, 228-pound frame to good use on opponents who venture into his territory. That’s what makes his streak so remarkable — all the punishment he dishes out and takes. He’s closing in on the all-time ironman streak held by forward Phil Kessel, who played in 1,064 consecutive regular-season games from Nov. 3, 2009, to April 13, 2023.

“What Phil did was incredible,” Burns said. “He’s such a cool character to have that (record), too."

It’s a streak Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog fully appreciates. Landeskog missed three full regular seasons after helping the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup title because of a lingering knee injury.

“He comes to the rink with a great attitude," Landeskog explained. "He wants to be here. He’s excited to come to work.”

Burns also arrives to the rink lugging around his military-style backpack that’s stuffed with everything necessary to keep him on skates. There’s a cloud of mystery surrounding the precise contents of the heavy pack, though. Whatever it may contain — rumors of recovery gear to his own coffee setup — there's no denying it's become a healing elixir. Burns is in his 22nd NHL season and about to play in his 1,572nd career contest Saturday. The 2016-17 Norris Trophy winner is still averaging nearly 19 minutes a game and has 83 blocked shots this season.

The streak certainly impresses goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

“In my position alone, you’ll do something one game and your hip locks up a little bit,” Wedgewood said. “It’s like, ‘Thank God, I’m not playing the next one. It feels like crap right now.’

“That happens 15 times a year, just on me, let alone taking body checks and slap shots. Playing as much as he does now at that age, keeping that body fresh and everything? He probably wouldn’t be the one to tell you, but he’s probably played through thousands of different nuances.”

Burns made his NHL debut on Oct. 8, 2003, with Minnesota after being a first-round pick by the Wild. He spent seven seasons with Minnesota, 11 in San Jose and three more in Carolina before joining Colorado.

His lone appearance in the Stanley Cup final was in 2016 with the Sharks, where they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Burns has played in 135 career playoff contests.

His current games streak started Nov. 21, 2013 — he played right wing that season — when he returned from his injury and promptly scored a goal. In his 999th straight game Wednesday against Vancouver, he delivered a goal and an assist to become the fifth different defensemen to notch a 30-point season while in their 40s.

“It’s just ridiculous,” Makar said of the streak before suffering an upper-body injury Monday against Calgary that will keep him out a few games. “For him to be able to go out there every night and make an impact, and not just float around and do the minimum, is pretty spectacular, especially at his age.”

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Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) passes the puck against Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (84) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, left, drives past Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (84) smiles at his teammates at the end of the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Friday, March 20, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)