
Terrifying moment Madrid homes threatened by raging wildfire
The blaze broke out on Monday (11 August), Madrid officials said, as part of a series of fires across southern Europe.
Officials said 180 people were evacuated from the Soto de Viñuelas, Fuente El Fresno, and Ciudad del Campo residential areas.
Firefighters from the Comunidad de Madrid and the Civil Guard attended the scene, working to contain the fire which threatened homes.
Scientists are calling the Mediterranean countries 'a wildfire hotspot', with blazes common during hot and dry summers. Climate change is making heatwaves and droughts more frequent and intense.
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Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Southern Taiwan shuts down ahead of arrival of Typhoon Podul
TAIPEI, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A large swathe of southern and eastern Taiwan shut down on Wednesday and hundreds of flights were cancelled ahead of the arrival later in the day of Typhoon Podul, with thousands of people evacuated. Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous, sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific. The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, packing wind gusts as strong as 191 kph (118 mph), was heading for the southeastern city of Taitung as it intensifies and was expected to make landfall nearby on Wednesday afternoon, weather officials said. "Destructive winds from typhoon expected. Take shelter as soon as possible," read a text message alert issued to cellphone users in parts of Taitung early on Wednesday. The alert warned people of gusts above 150 kph (93 mph) in the coming hours. Nine cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school for Wednesday, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan. In the capital Taipei, home to Taiwan's financial markets, there was no impact. Authorities are also working to evacuate those whose homes were damaged by a July typhoon that brought record winds and damaged the electricity grid in a rare direct hit to Taiwan's west coast. The government said almost 5,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the typhoon's arrival. All domestic flights were cancelled on Wednesday, while Taiwan's two main international carriers China Airlines ( opens new tab and EVA Air ( opens new tab cancelled a handful of international flights as well. After making landfall, the storm is expected to hit Taiwan's much more densely populated western coast before heading for China's southern province of Fujian later this week. As much as 600 mm (24 inches) of rain was forecast in southern mountainous areas over the next few days, the Central Weather Administration said. More than a year's rainfall fell in a single week this month in some southern areas, unleashing widespread landslides and flooding, with four deaths.


The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Thousands evacuated in Spain as deadly heatwave fans Mediterranean wildfires
The deadly heatwave fanning wildfires across the Mediterranean region has claimed at least three lives and forced thousands of people from their homes. Firefighters continued to battle blazes on Tuesday and authorities braced for further damage as temperatures in some areas surged well past 40C. In Spain, a Romanian man in his 50s died after suffering 98% burns while trying to rescue horses from a burning stable near Madrid on Monday night. A four-year-old boy who was found unconscious in his family's car in Sardinia died in Rome on Monday after suffering irreversible brain damage caused by heatstroke. And in Montenegro, one soldier died and another was seriously injured when their water tanker overturned while fighting wildfires in the hills north of the capital, Podgorica, on Tuesday. Scientist have warned that the heat currently affecting large parts of Europe is creating perfect conditions for wildfires and serving as another reminder of the climate emergency. 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Firefighters were also trying to contain blazes on the popular Ionian tourist islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia. With gusts hampering firefighting efforts, emergency services ordered all hotels in the region of Agala and Keri on Zakynthos to temporarily close, forcing suitcase-wielding holidaymakers to flee and relocate to other areas. By late Tuesday, dozens of firefighters, supported by 15 fire trucks and eight water-bombing planes and helicopters, were still trying to douse the fast-moving flames. 'Everything that civil protection can offer is here but there are very strong winds and the fires are out of control,' said the island's mayor, Giorgos Stasinopoulos. 'We need a lot more air support, it's vital.' The fire service said it was also dealing with blazes farther north in Epirus, around Preveza and in the central region of Aetolia-Acarnania. Despite temperatures nudging 43C in some parts of the Peloponnese region of southern Greece on Tuesday – and the prolonged drought, which has produced highly flammable conditions on tinder-dry soil – officials described the outbreak of so many fires as 'suspiciously high'. Faced with an estimated 63 blazes erupting and firefighters confronting flames on 106 fronts, fire officers dispatched specialist teams to several of the stricken regions to investigate possible arson. In Albania, hundreds of firefighters and troops had subdued most of the nearly 40 fires that flared up in the past 24 hours, the defence ministry said, but more than a dozen were still active. Since the start of July, nearly 34,000 hectares have been scorched nationwide, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Police say many of the blazes were deliberate, with more than 20 people arrested. In Croatia, about 150 firefighters spent Monday night defending homes near the port city of Split. In the north-western Turkish province of Çanakkale, more than 2,000 people were evacuated and 77 people treated in hospital for smoke inhalation after fires broke out near the tourist village of Güzelyalı, authorities said. Images on Turkish media showed homes and cars ablaze, while more than 760 firefighters, 10 planes, nine helicopters and more than 200 vehicles were deployed to battle the flames. Turkey this year experienced its hottest July since records began 55 years ago. In southern France, where temperature records were broken in at least four weather stations, the government called for vigilance. The south-western city of Bordeaux hit a record 41.6C on Monday, while all-time records were broken at meteorological stations in Bergerac, Cognac and Saint Girons, according to the national weather service, Météo France. Agence France-Presse contributed to this report


The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
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