The South American Mediterranean region is located in central Chile (23–39°S) and has a climate with hot dry summers and mild rainy winters. There, a typical sclerophyllous vegetation develops, calledmatorral. Although central Chile has not had a marked natural fire regime during the Quaternary, anthropogenic fires have been highly prevalent in the last two centuries associated with agricultural and livestock expansion. More recently, extensive and homogeneous forest plantations have contributed to the occurrence of large fires in a context of extended droughts. These anthropogenic fires put biodiversity at risk, as most native species are not fire-adapted. Frequent fires increase the mortality of the woody layer, creating open spaces that are colonized by annual species, mostly exotic. The matorral require active restoration measures in the face of recurrent fires, and more research is needed to determine the conditions that favor their recovery. The large fires that have recently affected the Mediterranean region of Chile offer an opportunity for restoration and the design of more resilient landscapes that integrate biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service provision, and fire protection in a context of climate change.