Spain wildfire horror: Five areas largely affected; thousands evacuated, one killed - Here's what we know
Dozens of blazes were reported in Spain over the last 24 hours, including one threatening Las Medulas, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its ancient Roman gold mines.
Authorities said on Tuesday that firefighters had largely contained a blaze outside Madrid that broke out on Monday night. Thousands of people in Spain now face evacuation orders due to wildfires that have killed at least one man so far. The fire, which mainly burned scrub and grassland, killed a man who suffered burns on 98 per cent of his body, emergency services said. Smoke rises from wildfire in the area of A Espasa, as seen from a viewpoint outside Chandrexa de Queixa, Spain The fire affected more than 1,000 hectares. By Tuesday morning, authorities were allowing some residents to return to their homes.
Elsewhere, firefighters were battling blazes in several Spanish regions, including Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Galicia.
Numerous fires forced thousands of people to evacuate, including holiday-goers in Cadiz, after a fire sent huge plumes of smoke into the air visible on Monday from some beaches at the southern tip of Spain. Burning trees are pictured during a wildfire in Carcastillo, northern Spain. More than 700 firefighters in Portugal were working to control a fire in Trancoso, about 350 kilometres northeast of Lisbon. Smaller fires were burning further north.
Dry vegetation and strong winds can make forest fires spread rapidly and out of control.
Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in Southern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires and the health impacts of extreme heat. Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Puercas de Aliste, near Zamora According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe is warming faster than any other continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s. Last year was the hottest year on record in Europe and globally, the monitoring agency said.
The burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal releases heat-trapping gases, which are the main driver of climate change. Deforestation, wildfires and many kinds of factories also contribute.
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The Hindu
26 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Two killed in European wildfires as heatwave intensifies
Two men died and thousands were forced from their homes on Tuesday as wildfires fuelled by a heatwave scorched southern Europe. Heat alerts were issued in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, with temperatures expected to soar above 40C. The heatwave is another sign of climate change, which is fuelling longer, more intense and increasingly frequent bouts of extreme heat. "Thanks to climate change, we now live in a significantly warmer world," Akshay Deoras, a research scientist at the meteorology department in Britain's University of Reading told AFP, adding that "many still underestimate the danger". An employee of a Spanish equestrian centre who suffered serious burns died in hospital as winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) per hour whipped flames through Tres Cantos, a wealthy suburb north of Madrid, officials said. In Montenegro, a soldier died and another was seriously injured when their water tanker overturned while fighting wildfires in the hills north of the capital, Podgorica. A child died of heatstroke in Italy on Monday. The equestrian centre employee was the first fatality from dozens of wildfires that have hit Spain since a heatwave began last week. Spanish media said he had become trapped by the flames as he tried to save horses. Hundreds of residents of Tres Cantos fled their homes due to the risk from the fast-moving blaze, which was contained on Tuesday morning. The fire damaged several homes and "above all" agricultural facilities, Carlos Novillo, Madrid's regional environment chief, told reporters. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X that rescue services "are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires" and warned: "We are at extreme risk of forest fires. Please be very cautious." Saved at 'last second' Elsewhere, about 2,000 people were evacuated from hotels and homes near the popular beaches of Tarifa in the southern region of Andalusia. The wildfire broke out near where a similar blaze forced evacuations earlier this month. "We managed to save the residential area at the very last second," said Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region's interior minister. In the northwestern region of Castile and Leon, dozens of blazes were reported, including one threatening Las Medulas, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its ancient Roman gold mines. The head of the regional government of Castile and Leon, Alfonso Fernandez Manueco, vowed "to act quickly and generously" once the fire is over to restore the site "to its full glory as soon as possible". In neighbouring Portugal, firefighters battled three large wildfires, with the most serious near Trancoso in the centre of the country. More than 700 firefighters were deployed there. Church bells rang out on Tuesday morning in Mendo Gordo, a hamlet near Trancoso, to sound the alarm as a thick column of smoke rose in the distance, images broadcast on Portuguese television showed. Smoke and greenhouse gas emissions related to forest fires since the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere are among the highest ever recorded, according to the EU climate monitor Copernicus. 'Too hot' Temperature records were broken at four weather stations in southern France on Monday and three-quarters of the country was under heat alerts on Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to top 40C in the Rhone Valley. The Rhone department banned outdoor public events. Temperatures started rising on Friday in France's second heatwave in just a few weeks and could remain high into next week, according to the national weather office Meteo-France. That would make it a 12- to 14-day stretch of extreme heat. "It's already too hot," said Alain Bichot, 34, as he sat at a cafe terrace early on Tuesday morning in Dijon in eastern France. "I would rather just go to the office. At least there is air conditioning there." Eleven Italian cities, including Rome, Milan and Florence, were placed on red alert on Tuesday due to the heat. In Montenegro, fire crews aided by military personnel were fighting a blaze around Podgorica for a second day when the water truck flipped, killing the soldier, the defence ministry said in a statement. Authorities warned residents to stay indoors due to smoke from a forest fire raging in the hills above Podgorica. Hundreds of soldiers and firefighters were also battling wildfires in Albania. More than half (52 percent) of Europe and the Mediterranean basin was hit by drought in July for the fourth consecutive month, according to an AFP analysis of European Drought Observatory (EDO) data. Drought levels in the region are the highest on record for the month of July since data collection began in 2012, exceeding the 2012-2024 average by 21 percent.
Economic Times
44 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Parts of Europe burn as millions are facing record heat
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Parts of Europe burn as millions are facing record heat
Wildfires burned in parts of Europe on Tuesday as millions of people across the continent struggled to adapt to the new reality: record summer heat. Temperatures in some areas soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Europe is warming faster than any other continent, at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Last year was the hottest year on record in Europe and globally, the monitoring agency said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo Scientists warn climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making parts of Europe more vulnerable to wildfires. The burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal releases heat-trapping gasses that are the main driver of climate change. Spain and Portugal: Numerous wildfires Outside Madrid, firefighters had largely contained a blaze that broke out Monday night, authorities said. It killed a man who suffered burns on 98% of his body, emergency services said. Live Events Elsewhere, firefighters and nearly 1,000 soldiers were battling blazes in regions including Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Galicia. Thousands of people evacuated homes and hotels, including holiday-goers at beaches at the southern tip of Spain. Regional authorities said Tuesday afternoon that some of those evacuated from beach locations could return to their hotels. In Portugal, more than 700 firefighters were working to control a fire in the municipality of Trancoso, about 350 kilometers (217 miles) northeast of Lisbon. Smaller fires were burning further north. Turkey: Thousands evacuated, some on boats Firefighters largely brought a major wildfire in northwest Turkey under control, the forestry minister announced, a day after the blaze prompted hundreds of evacuations and led to the suspension of maritime traffic. The blaze broke out on agricultural land in Canakkale province. Fanned by strong winds, it rapidly spread to a forested area, then to a residential one. It forced the evacuation of 2,000 residents - some by sea - and led to 77 hospitalizations due to smoke exposure, officials said. Firefighters were still battling two other wildfires in Manisa and Izmir provinces in western Turkey, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on social media. France: A red alert for heat The national weather authority placed most of France's southern region on the highest heat warning, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) expected for the second consecutive day. The heat will spread to the northeast, including the Paris region, Meteo France said. Some municipalities offered free or discounted access to public swimming pools. Most regions in central and southern France were monitored for the high risk of forest fires, after a deadly blaze last week in the Aude region. Officials said the fire was under control but will not be fully extinguished for weeks, with hot spots at risk of reigniting. Greece: Multiple evacuations for fires In Greece, seven major wildfires mostly in the west forced multiple evacuations, destroying homes and businesses, while flames reached the outskirts of the country's third largest city. The fire service scrambled resources to the port city of Patras where a forest fire burning through mountain forest threatened an industrial area. High winds hindered firefighting efforts on the islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia, where authorities were on standby to evacuate tourist resorts which were not in immediate danger. Other severe fires burned in several areas on the western Greek mainland and on the island of Chios in the eastern Aegean Sea. Nationwide, the civil protection service issued more than 20 mobile phone alerts Tuesday with evacuation orders and guidance. Britain: Another heat wave Temperatures were expected to hit 34 Celsius (93.2 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in southern parts of England, including London. Officials define a heat wave as temperatures exceeding 25 Celsius for most of the U.K. - and 28 Celsius in London and its surrounding area - for three consecutive days or more.
