Greece Shuts the Acropolis Due to High Temperatures
Mandatory work breaks were imposed in several other regions – mostly on islands and parts of central Greece – where temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The measures started Monday for outdoor workers. Workplaces that don't comply face a 2,000 euro fine per worker. Authorities said the risk of wildfires – already at very high across the eastern mainland – is expected to increase during the week.
Elsewhere in Europe, a wildfire in northeastern Spain burned roughly 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) on Tuesday, with authorities ordering some 18,000 people in Tarragona province to remain indoors. Other parts of Spain were on high alert for wildfires after experiencing record high temperatures in June.
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Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Syria wildfires contained after 10 days
DAMASCUS: Syria's civil defense agency on Sunday said wildfires in the country's west, which have burned vast tracts of forest and farmland and forced evacuations, had been brought under control after 10 days. In a statement on Facebook, the agency said that 'with the spread of the fires halted and the fire hotspots brought under control on all fronts' on Saturday, teams on the ground were working to cool down the affected areas while monitoring any signs of reignition. The blazes in the coastal province of Latakia broke out amid an intense heatwave across the region. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said they destroyed about 100 square kilometers of forest and farmland. As the fires raged, Syrian emergency workers faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain and the danger of explosive war remnants. This all comes in a country worn down by years of conflict and economic crisis. In a post on X, the Syrian minister for emergencies and disaster management, Raed Al-Saleh, said that with help from Turkish, Jordanian, Lebanese, Qatari and Iraqi teams, firefighters had 'managed to halt the spread of the fire on all fronts, which is the most important step toward containing the wildfires.' The 'situation is the best it has been in the past 10 days,' Saleh said late Saturday. 'There are still threats due to wind activity, but we are working to prevent any renewed expansion of the fires,' the minister added. The civil defense agency said rescue teams were carrying out 'operations to open pathways and firebreaks within the forests... in order to reduce the chances of fire spreading in case of reignition.' Authorities have not reported any casualties, but several towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution. Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country's economy, infrastructure and public services. With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said that Syria had 'not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.'
Al Arabiya
9 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Syria says wildfires contained after 10 days
Syria's civil defense agency on Sunday said wildfires in the country's west, which have burned vast tracts of forest and farmland and forced evacuations, had been brought under control after 10 days. In a statement on Facebook, the agency said that 'with the spread of the fires halted and the fire hotspots brought under control on all fronts' on Saturday, teams on the ground were working to cool down the affected areas while monitoring any signs of reignition. The blazes in the coastal province of Latakia broke out amid an intense heatwave across the region. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said they destroyed about 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest and farmland. As the fires raged, Syrian emergency workers faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain and the danger of explosive war remnants. This all comes in a country worn down by years of conflict and economic crisis. In a post on X, the Syrian minister for emergencies and disaster management, Raed al-Saleh, said that with help from Turkish, Jordanian, Lebanese, Qatari and Iraqi teams, firefighters had 'managed to halt the spread of the fire on all fronts, which is the most important step toward containing the wildfires.' The 'situation is the best it has been in the past 10 days,' Saleh said late Saturday. 'There are still threats due to wind activity, but we are working to prevent any renewed expansion of the fires,' the minister added. The civil defense agency said rescue teams were carrying out 'operations to open pathways and firebreaks within the forests... in order to reduce the chances of fire spreading in case of reignition.' Authorities have not reported any casualties, but several towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution. Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country's economy, infrastructure and public services. With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization told AFP that Syria had 'not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.'
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Unhealthy smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets the Upper Midwest when people want to be outside
BISMARCK, N.D.: Much of the Upper Midwest on Saturday was dealing with swaths of unhealthy air because of drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires, covering the northern region of the US at a time when people want to be enjoying lakes, trails and the great outdoors. Most of Minnesota and parts of Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin were ranked 'unhealthy' for air quality on a US Environmental Protection Agency map. Part of North Dakota that is home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and other tourist attractions was ranked 'very unhealthy,' some of the worst air quality in the nation. In Minnesota, 'If you have a nice pork loin you can hang from a tree, it'll turn into ham,' quipped Al Chirpich, owner of the Hideaway Resort near Detroit Lakes, where people come to enjoy tree-lined Island Lake for fishing and other water activities. Normally there would be boats and jet skis all over, but on Saturday he couldn't see a boat on the lake, where the smoke impaired visibility and curtailed his camper business. None of his 18 RV sites was occupied. His seven rental cabins drew a handful of customers. 'I suspect when the weather clears, we'll be swamped again. Fourth of July, I had probably 20 boats here lined up at my docks, and today my boat is the only one,' Chirpich said. The conditions started Friday, dragging smoke from the Canadian wildfires down to the surface, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Jennifer Ritterling, in Grand Forks. Periods of bad air quality are expected to last through the weekend in the region, she said. Limiting time outdoors, keeping windows closed and running air purifiers are good ideas for people with lung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even healthy people, Ritterling said. 'Our summers up here are fairly short and so everyone wants to get out and enjoy them, and it's a little frustrating when there's this smoke in the air,' she said. Fires in Canada prompt state of emergency for some All of Manitoba is under a state of emergency because of the wildfires, which have led to 12,600 people evacuating their homes in the province. The fires in the central Canadian province have burned over 3,861 square miles , the most land burned in 30 years of electronic record-keeping. Under 1,000 people have evacuated their homes in Saskatchewan, where wildfires also continue to burn. North Rim in Grand Canyon still closed In Arizona, the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park is still closed because of a 2.3 square-mile wildfire and another fire nearby on Bureau of Land Management land that has burned nearly 17 square miles . More than 200 firefighters and support personnel worked to halt the uncontained fire Saturday as it burned across a high-altitude plateau between the communities of Lonesome, White Sage and Jacob Lake. In Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park remains closed because of a 4.4-square-mile wildfire burning on the South Rim of the park, known for its dramatic, steep cliffs. A few miles from the fire, an evacuation was ordered for the community of Bostwick Park, and a nearby highway also was shut. The fires in and near both national parks led to evacuations of hundreds of people. Chirpich, the Minnesota resort owner, said he has plans to go to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on Thursday and is 'a bit pensive about how that's going to be there.' 'I'm going to leave one smokehouse for another, I guess,' he said.
