Latest news with #Barcones
Euractiv
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Euractiv
Spain and Portugal battle wildfires as death toll mounts
Thousands of firefighters backed by the military and water-bombing aircraft on Monday battled dozens of wildfires across Spain and Portugal, as the death toll increased to six since the outbreaks began. The Iberian Peninsula has been particularly affected by forest fires fuelled by a succession of heatwaves and droughts blamed on climate change that have hit the southern Mediterranean. Two firefighters were killed on Sunday – one in each country, both in road accidents – taking the death toll to two in Portugal and four in Spain. The head of Spain's Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, told broadcaster TVE there were currently 23 "active fires in operation status two", indicating a serious and direct threat to the population. The fires, now in their second week, were concentrated in Galicia, Castile and Leon, and Extremadura regions. Deadly wildfires ravaging Spain have burnt the equivalent of nearly half a million football fields this year, setting a new record, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis) on Monday. The 2025 fires have so far burnt more than 343,000 hectares, surpassing the previous record for the period of 306,000 hectares, set in 2022. Barcones said she hoped weather conditions would turn to help tackle the fires, as Spain's meteorological agency forecast "the last day of this heatwave", which has seen temperatures hit 45°C in parts of the south. Spain is being helped with firefighting aircraft from France, Italy, Slovakia, and the Netherlands, while Portugal is receiving air support from Sweden and Morocco. "It's a very difficult, very complicated situation," Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles told TVE. The size and severity of the fires and the intensity of the smoke – visible from space – were making "airborne action" difficult," she added. In Portugal, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said a firefighter died on Sunday night in a traffic accident that left two of his colleagues seriously injured. A former mayor in the eastern town of Guarda died on Friday while trying to tackle a fire. Some 2,000 firefighters were deployed across northern and central Portugal on Monday, with about half of them concentrated in the town of Arbanil. (mm)
Int'l Business Times
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Int'l Business Times
Spain And Portugal Battle Wildfires As Death Toll Mounts
Thousands of firefighters backed by the military and water-bombing aircraft on Monday battled dozens of wildfires across Spain and Portugal, as the death toll increased to six since the outbreaks began. The Iberian peninsula has been particularly affected by forest fires fuelled by a succession of heatwaves and droughts blamed on climate change that have hit the southern Mediterranean. Two firefighters were killed on Sunday -- one in each country, both in road accidents -- taking the death toll to two in Portugal and four in Spain. The head of Spain's Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, told broadcaster TVE there were currently 23 "active fires in operation status two", indicating a serious and direct threat to the population. The fires, now in their second week, were concentrated in Galicia, Castile and Leon, and Extremadura regions. In the Ourense province of Galicia, northwestern Spain, signs of the fires were everywhere, from ashen forests and blackened soil to destroyed homes, with thick smoke forcing people to wear facemasks. Firefighters in protective clothing, armed with fire beaters, battled to put out fires, as locals in just shorts and T-shirts used water from hoses and buckets to try to stop the spread. "In my 75 years, I truly mean it, I have never experienced anything like this before," a woman in the town of O Barco de Valdeorras told AFP. Another resident dousing his home with water from a hosepipe described the wildfire that ripped through his area as "like a bomb". "It came from below and it was like a hurricane," he said. "The good thing was that in two minutes it headed up and it didn't stay here long. "If not, our house would have been burnt, it would not have survived." Barcones said she hoped weather conditions would turn to help tackle the fires, as Spain's meteorological agency forecast "the last day of this heatwave", which has seen temperatures hit 45C in parts of the south. Many other places have seen temperatures above 40C. Elsewhere in the southern Mediterranean, the authorities in Turkey said two major fires had been brought under control, while rain and falling temperatures have helped firefighters extinguish dozens of blazes in the Balkans. Spain is being helped with firefighting aircraft from France, Italy, Slovakia and the Netherlands, while Portugal is receiving air support from Sweden and Morocco. "It's a very difficult, very complicated situation," Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles told TVE. The size and severity of the fires and the intensity of the smoke -- visible from space -- were making "airborne action" difficult," she added. Officials in Castile and Leon said a firefighter died on Sunday night when the water truck he was driving flipped over on a steep forest road. "For an unknown reason, the vehicle approached the embankment and overturned, falling down a steep slope," the regional government posted on X. Two other volunteer firefighters have died in Castile and Leon, while a Romanian employee of a riding school north of Madrid lost his life trying to protect horses from the fire. In Portugal, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said a firefighter died on Sunday night in a traffic accident that left two of his colleagues seriously injured. A former mayor in the eastern town of Guarda died on Friday while trying to tackle a fire. Some 2,000 firefighters were deployed across northern and central Portugal on Monday, with about half of them concentrated in the town of Arbanil. Spain and Portugal have been badly hit by a succession of heatwaves and drought, fuelling a wave of wildfires AFP Residents have been forced to flee as the fires spread to land and property AFP
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Spain and Portugal wildfires death toll rises as firefighters battle blazes
MADRID: Thousands of firefighters, supported by military personnel and water-bombing aircraft, are battling dozens of wildfires across Spain and Portugal. The death toll has risen to six since the outbreaks began, with two firefighters killed in separate road accidents on Sunday. The Iberian peninsula has been severely affected by forest fires intensified by heatwaves and drought linked to climate change. More than 343,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in Spain this year, setting a new national record, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. The previous record of 306,000 hectares was recorded in the same period three years ago. Virginia Barcones, head of Spain's Civil Protection and Emergencies, confirmed 23 active fires posing a direct threat to communities. The fires, now in their second week, are concentrated in Galicia, Castile and Leon, and Extremadura. In Ourense province, charred forests, blackened soil, and destroyed homes mark the devastation, with thick smoke forcing residents to wear facemasks. Locals in shorts and T-shirts joined firefighters, using hoses and buckets to slow the flames. One resident in O Barco de Valdeorras described the wildfire as 'like a bomb' that swept through his area. Barcones expressed hope that changing weather conditions would aid firefighting efforts as Spain's heatwave subsides. International support includes firefighting aircraft from France, Italy, Slovakia, and the Netherlands, while Portugal receives aid from Sweden and Morocco. Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles described the situation as 'very difficult, very complicated' due to the fires' intensity and smoke. A firefighter in Castile and Leon died when his water truck overturned on a steep forest road. Two other volunteer firefighters and a Romanian stable worker also lost their lives in fire-related incidents. In Portugal, a firefighter died in a traffic accident, while a former mayor perished while fighting flames. Around 2,000 firefighters are deployed across northern and central Portugal, with half stationed in Arganil. Portugal has lost 216,000 hectares of land to wildfires since the start of the year- AFP
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Climate
- New Straits Times
Spain and Portugal battle wildfires as death toll mounts
MADRID: Thousands of firefighters backed by the military and water-bombing aircraft today battled dozens of wildfires across Spain and Portugal, as the death toll increased to six since the outbreaks began. The Iberian peninsula has been particularly affected by forest fires fuelled by a succession of heatwaves and droughts blamed on climate change that have hit the southern Mediterranean. Two firefighters were killed yesterday -- one in each country, both in road accidents -- taking the death toll to two in Portugal and four in Spain. The head of Spain's Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, told broadcaster TVE there were currently 23 "active fires in operation status two", indicating a serious and direct threat to the population. The fires, now in their second week, were concentrated in Galicia, Castile and Leon, and Extremadura regions. In the Ourense province of Galicia, northwestern Spain, signs of the fires were everywhere, from ashen forests and blackened soil to destroyed homes, with thick smoke forcing people to wear facemasks. Firefighters in protective clothing, armed with fire beaters, battled to put out fires, as locals in just shorts and T-shirts used water from hoses and buckets to try to stop the spread. "In my 75 years, I truly mean it, I have never experienced anything like this before," a woman in the town of O Barco de Valdeorras told AFP. Another resident dousing his home with water from a hosepipe described the wildfire that ripped through his area as "like a bomb". "It came from below and it was like a hurricane," he said. "The good thing was that in two minutes it headed up and it didn't stay here long. "If not, our house would have been burnt, it would not have survived." Barcones said she hoped weather conditions would turn to help tackle the fires, as Spain's meteorological agency forecast "the last day of this heatwave", which has seen temperatures hit 45°C in parts of the south. Many other places have seen temperatures above 40°C. Elsewhere in the southern Mediterranean, the authorities in Turkiye said two major fires had been brought under control, while rain and falling temperatures have helped firefighters extinguish dozens of blazes in the Balkans. Spain is being helped with firefighting aircraft from France, Italy, Slovakia and the Netherlands, while Portugal is receiving air support from Sweden and Morocco. "It's a very difficult, very complicated situation," Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles told TVE. The size and severity of the fires and the intensity of the smoke -- visible from space -- were making "airborne action" difficult," she added. Officials in Castile and Leon said a firefighter died last night when the water truck he was driving flipped over on a steep forest road. "For an unknown reason, the vehicle approached the embankment and overturned, falling down a steep slope," the regional government posted on X. Two other volunteer firefighters have died in Castile and Leon, while a Romanian employee of a riding school north of Madrid lost his life trying to protect horses from the fire. In Portugal, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said a firefighter died last night in a traffic accident that left two of his colleagues seriously injured. A former mayor in the eastern town of Guarda died on Friday while trying to tackle a fire. Some 2,000 firefighters were deployed across northern and central Portugal today, with about half of them concentrated in the town of Arbanil.
Dubai Eye
3 days ago
- Climate
- Dubai Eye
Spain battles 14 major fires with more expected
Spain battled 14 major fires driven by high winds and aggravated by heat on Friday as authorities warned of "unfavourable conditions" to tackle flames that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London. Firefighters have been battling to put out blazes across southern Europe in one of the worst summers for wildfires in 20 years. And a nearly two-week heatwave and southerly winds were worsening the situation in Spain, Virginia Barcones, director general of emergency services, said on Friday. "In the western part of the country the situation is extremely worrying," Barcones said on RTVE. In Galicia, several fires converged to form a large blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail services to the region. As fire spread from Galicia's Ourense province to neighbouring Zamora, provoking evacuations, some stayed behind to protect their homes. Spain's national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in the north and west of the country, as temperatures are expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius on the north coast. "Today will be another very difficult day, with an extreme risk of new fires," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. FIRES SPREADING QUICKLY A fire near Molezuelas de la Carballeda in the Castile and Leon region - one of the largest in Spain's history - had not advanced since Thursday. That wildfire had, at one point, been spreading by 4,000 hectares per hour, said Eduardo Diego, national government representative for the region. A fire near Badajoz in the Extremadura region, meanwhile, burned 2,500 hectares in a few hours before being brought under control. "It was very fast with enormous growth, but it has been possible to tackle it," Jose Luis Quintana, the national government representative for the region, told RTVE. The fires caused the closure of more than half a dozen roads on a busy bank holiday weekend, leaving travelers stuck at the height of summer holidays. In the town of Oimbra in Ourense province, where three firefighters were seriously injured, a man was arrested for causing a fire by using his tractor when it was prohibited, police said. Two people were also arrested in Costa da Morte in Galicia for provoking fires by illegally burning copper cables to extract the metal, according to the Interior Ministry. Wildfires have burned more than 157,000 hectares in Spain so far this year, almost double the annual average, according to the European Union's Forest Fire Information Service. In neighbouring Portugal, meanwhile, thousands of firefighters were battling five large blazes in central and northern parts of the country, with one fire in Trancoso, some 350 km northeast of Lisbon, now raging for six days. Around 300 residents were evacuated on Friday from the village of Covanca near Piodao, an area of central Portugal popular with tourists, after a wildfire broke out on Wednesday.
