The fires in Colombia this month are unusual for a country where people are more accustomed to heavy rain and landslides than fires and ash. They have been linked to high temperatures and drought, exacerbated by the climate phenomenon known as El Niño. In Brazil, fires have destroyed large swaths of rainforest in recent years. Chile has declared two days of national mourning for those killed in the devastating forest fires that engulfed the Valparaiso region. Already 112 people have become victims of the disaster.