VALPARAISO, CHILE (April 13, 2014) — The small congregation of Calama Covenant Church is delivering food, clothing, and other supplies to several families forced out of their homes by a raging fire that has killed at least 11 people, destroyed hundreds of homes, and forced the evacuation of more than 11,000 people, David Mark, former Department of World Mission regional coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, said today.

“The Calama Church is quite small, but quite active in the area in many ways,” Mark said.

Strong winds have forced the fire across much of the city, which located about 70 miles west of Santiago. According to news reports, 1,200 firefighters are battling the blaze, which ignited Saturday.

Fires are common in the area during this time of area due to dry conditions.

Photo from Twitter.