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Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Wales Online
Two dead, thousands evacuated in Greece, France, Spain and Italy
Two dead, thousands evacuated in Greece, France, Spain and Italy Authorities say the situation, also hitting Turkey, could get worse this week Firefighters continue the extinguishing works to extinguish the fire, on 10 August, 2025 in Carcastillo, Navarra, Spain At least one person has been left dead by wildfires spreading across Greece, with 16,000 acres destroyed. A man has died in the Keratea region near Athens as the National Observatory in Greece said winds which have fanned the flames will continue on Monday. Italy has closed the national park surrounding Mount Vesuvius as it battles wildfires there - with six planes being used to help the effort. A fire service spokesman said: " 'For safety reasons and... to facilitate firefighting and cleanup operations in the affected areas, all activities along the Vesuvius National Park trail network are suspended until further notice." Firefighters are also continuing work to extinguish a fire in Carcastillo, Navarra, Spain. The fire started on the night of Saturday, August 9, in a pine forest located next to the road between Carcastillo and Figarol, in Llano de Larrate and continues to affect areas of Aleppo pine. On Sunday night, authorities raised the emergency level for the operation of the Special Emergency Civil Protection Plan for forest fires in the Foral Community of Navarra (INFONA). 1,500 firefighters are tackling fire in Aude, France. The wildfires have been contained in an area of 62 square miles of woodland. Aude prefect Christian Pouget said: " The fight is continuing, firefighters are still working on (fire) reignition." He said one person has died and 25 have been injured in the fires. Firefighters said the oncoming heatwaves could make the fires worse. " The fire won't be extinguished for several weeks," said Colonel Christophe Magny, director of the Aude fire department. Monday is forecast to be the hottest day nationwide in France. Pouget said 1,000 people had not yet been able to return to their homes after the fire swept through 15 communes in the Corbieres mountain region, destroying or damaging at least 36 homes. Some 1,300 homes were left without electricity after infrastructure was extensively damaged, the Aude prefecture said. Residents have been warned not to return home without authorisation, as many roads remain blocked and dangerous. Those forced to flee have been housed in emergency shelters across 17 municipalities. Many fled to the community of Tuchan when the fire started on Tuesday, its mayor Beatrice Bertrand told the Associated Press. 'We have received and hosted over 200 people. We gave them food, thanks to local businesses who opened their stores despite it being very late,' Ms Bertrand said. 'Civil Protection brought us beds. And also the local villagers offered their homes to welcome them. It was their first night here and many were shocked and scared.' An investigation is under way to determine what sparked the fire. Authorities said the fire was the largest recorded since France's national fire database was created in 2006, but the minister for ecological transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, went further, calling the blaze the worst since 1949 and linking it to climate change. The Mediterranean basin has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires. Last month, a wildfire that reached the southern port of Marseille, France's second-largest city, injured around 300 people. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. In Greece, the fast-moving wildfire forced a series of evacuations south east of Athens, approaching residential areas as firefighters battled strong winds. The blaze advanced over scrub-covered hillsides in the Keratea region, spreading through an area with scattered homes 25 miles from the capital. The Fire Service said one man was found dead during evacuation. As the flames tore through clusters of homes, gas canisters used for cooking exploded, cars went up in flames and residents battled from porches to save their homes. Firefighting planes and helicopters swooped over the flames that sent thick black clouds of smokes toward coastal areas. Authorities deployed 190 firefighters supported by volunteers, and police blocked traffic in the area to allow fire engines through. Strong winds disrupted ferry services at ports around Athens. A wildfire fuelled by strong winds in north-west Turkey prompted authorities to evacuate a university campus and an elderly care home and to suspend some maritime traffic on Friday, reports said. The flow of ships through the Dardanelles Strait was temporarily halted due to heavy smoke and reduced visibility in the narrow waterway. The fire broke out at an agricultural field near Saricaeli village, in Canakkale province, before spreading rapidly into a nearby forested area. Article continues below With the flames approaching dangerously close to the care home and a campus of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, both facilities were evacuated as a precaution, the Cumhuriyet newspaper and other media reported. Footage aired by Haberturk TV showed a fire engine being engulfed in flames, forcing firefighters to flee.
NDTV
15 hours ago
- Climate
- NDTV
Firefighters Bring France's Largest Wildfire In Decades Under Control, 1 Dead
Firefighters have contained a massive wildfire in southern France but local officials warned on Sunday that scorching heat and dry conditions could reignite the blaze, as parts of the Mediterranean region face a heatwave. The fire has ravaged a vast area of France's southern Aude department at the peak of the summer tourist season, killing one person and injuring several others. Authorities said that hot, dry winds on Sunday -- similar to those on the day the blaze began -- and a heatwave would make the work of firefighters more difficult. "It's a challenging day, given that we are likely to be on red alert for heatwave from 4:00 pm, which will not make things any easier," said Christian Pouget, prefect of the Aude department. The fire is no longer spreading but is still burning within a 16,000-hectare area, said Christophe Magny on Saturday, chief of the region's firefighter unit, adding it would not be under control until Sunday evening. But the blaze will "not be extinguished for several weeks," he said. Some 1,300 firefighters were mobilised to prevent the blaze from reigniting amid fears that the tramontane wind, which officials said picked up overnight Saturday to Sunday, could fan lingering hot spots. Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, and Monday is forecast to be the "hottest day nationwide," according to national weather service Meteo France. In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a 65-year-old woman was found dead on Wednesday in her home, which was devastated by flames. Authorities said one resident suffered serious burns and four others were lightly injured, while 19 firefighters were hurt, including one with a head injury. 'Extremely Angry' Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to such disasters due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming. The blaze -- the largest in at least 50 years -- tore through 16,000 hectares of vegetation, disaster officials said. For livestock farmers in Fontjoncouse, the fire has ravaged grazing land and wiped out much of their flocks, fuelling outrage among those who said they did not have time to evacuate their herds. Emmanuelle Bernier said she was "extremely angry" when she returned to a devastating scene, finding the pen that had housed her herd of goats in ruins, with 17 animals -- some close to giving birth -- lost in the fire. "I will definitely change jobs. This will change my whole life," she said. Bernier's property now holds only a few geese and two sick goats after she had to temporarily entrust her surviving sheep to a local winegrower, as the damage to the farm was so extensive that they could no longer stay. "Everything here was built around the sheep, and seeing the flock leave was incredibly difficult for me," she said. But as she surveyed the scorched landscape, Bernier voiced some hope for the future. "There's still a little life left," she said.
Kuwait Times
15 hours ago
- Climate
- Kuwait Times
‘Challenging day' for firefighters in France
FONTJONCOUSE, France: Firefighters have contained a massive wildfire in southern France but local officials warned on Sunday that scorching heat and dry conditions could reignite the blaze, as parts of the Mediterranean region face a heatwave. The fire has ravaged a vast area of France's southern Aude department at the peak of the summer tourist season, killing one person and injuring several others. Authorities said that hot, dry winds on Sunday—similar to those on the day the blaze began—and a heatwave would make the work of firefighters more difficult. 'It's a challenging day, given that we are likely to be on red alert for heatwave from 4pm, which will not make things any easier,' said Christian Pouget, prefect of the Aude department. The fire is no longer spreading but is still burning within a 16,000-hectare area, said Christophe Magny on Saturday, chief of the region's firefighter unit, adding it would not be under control until Sunday evening. But the blaze will 'not be extinguished for several weeks,' he said. Some 1,300 firefighters were mobilized to prevent the blaze from reigniting amid fears that the tramontane wind, which officials said picked up overnight Saturday to Sunday, could fan lingering hot spots. Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, and Monday is forecast to be the 'hottest day nationwide,' according to national weather service Meteo France. In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a 65-year-old woman was found dead on Wednesday in her home, which was devastated by flames. Authorities said one resident suffered serious burns and four others were lightly injured, while 19 firefighters were hurt, including one with a head injury. Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to such disasters due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming. The blaze—the largest in at least 50 years—tore through 16,000 hectares of vegetation, disaster officials said. For livestock farmers in Fontjoncouse, the fire has ravaged grazing land and wiped out much of their flocks, fuelling outrage among those who said they did not have time to evacuate their herds. Emmanuelle Bernier said she was 'extremely angry' when she returned to a devastating scene, finding the pen that had housed her herd of goats in ruins, with 17 animals—some close to giving birth—lost in the fire. 'I will definitely change jobs. This will change my whole life,' she said. Bernier's property now holds only a few geese and two sick goats after she had to temporarily entrust her surviving sheep to a local winegrower, as the damage to the farm was so extensive that they could no longer stay. 'Everything here was built around the sheep, and seeing the flock leave was incredibly difficult for me,' she said. But as she surveyed the scorched landscape, Bernier voiced some hope for the future. 'There's still a little life left,' she said. – AFP
Scottish Sun
15 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
At least one dead as wildfires spread across Europe with Mount Vesuvius closed in Italy & French vineyards turned to ash
BLAZE TRAGEDY At least one dead as wildfires spread across Europe with Mount Vesuvius closed in Italy & French vineyards turned to ash Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AT LEAST one person has died as terrifying wildfires sweep across Greece and spread across Europe. Up to 16,000 acres of land has been decimated in the Keratea region, south of Athens, in the latest fires ripping through the Mediterranean. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Flames and smoke rise from burning trees while firefighters continue their efforts to extinguish the fires near the Komotini, Greece Credit: Getty 7 Dozens of blazes have erupted Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 7 Much of southern France's vineyards were left scorched alongside homes Credit: AFP An elderly man was found dead inside his bed by firefighters who have been tirelessly battling against the numerous blazes. This is now the third consecutive day of wildfires in the region, according to the National Observatory in Athens. They have warned high winds have been fanning the flames will persist until at least Monday. Over in Italy, brave firefighters tackled a wildfire which was quickly heading towards Mount Vesuvius National Park. Officials ordered all the hiking routes up the volcano near Naples were immediately closed to tourists as a precaution. Billowing clouds of smoke could be seen from the Pompeii archeological site. The national fire service said 12 teams have been on the ground alongside six Canadair planes to fight the blaze since August 8, France was also hit with soaring flames over the weekend. Around 1,400 firefighters were deployed Saturday in the southern Aude region to prevent the country's largest wildfire in decades from reemerging. Locals have been slowly returning to their homes since Thursday after 62 square miles of land was scorched across the week. Aude prefect Christian Pouget announced the worst hit areas were the popular vineyards in the area. Pictures show the devastating aftermath with the wineries reduced to piles of ash. In Portugal, people have been seen trying to extinguish the flames of a burning patch of grass during a forest fire in Sao Pedro e Santa Maria, Trancoso. The fire in Trancoso caused officials to mobilise eight helicopters and more than 300 firefighters. 7 In Portugal, people have been seen trying to extinguish the flames of a burning patch of grass during a forest fire in Sao Pedro e Santa Maria, Trancoso Credit: EPA 7 Over in Italy, brave firefighters tackled a wildfire which was quickly heading towards Mount Vesuvius National Park Credit: AFP 7 A desperate rescue mission using water has been underway for three days in Greece Credit: Getty
Observer
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Observer
'Challenging day' for firefighters battling huge blaze in France
FONTJONCOUSE: Firefighters have contained a massive wildfire in southern France but local officials warned on Sunday that scorching heat and dry conditions could reignite the blaze, as parts of the Mediterranean region face a heatwave. The fire has ravaged a vast area of France's southern Aude department at the peak of the summer tourist season, killing one person and injuring several others. Authorities said that hot, dry winds on Sunday — similar to those on the day the blaze began — and a heatwave would make the work of firefighters more difficult. "It's a challenging day, given that we are likely to be on red alert for heatwave from 4:00 pm, which will not make things any easier", said Christian Pouget, prefect of the Aude department. The fire is no longer spreading but is still burning within a 16,000-hectare area, said Christophe Magny on Saturday, chief of the region's firefighter unit, adding it would not be under control until Sunday evening. But the blaze will "not be extinguished for several weeks", he said. Some 1,300 firefighters were mobilised to prevent the blaze from reigniting amidst fears that the tramontane wind, which officials said picked up overnight Saturday to Sunday, could fan lingering hot spots. Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius in some areas and Monday is forecast to be the "hottest day nationwide", according to national weather service Meteo France. In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a 65-year-old woman was found dead on Wednesday in her home, which was devastated by flames. Authorities said one resident suffered serious burns and four others were lightly injured, while 19 firefighters were hurt, including one with a head injury. Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to such disasters due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming. The blaze — the largest in at least 50 years — tore through 16,000 hectares of vegetation, disaster officials said. For livestock farmers in Fontjoncouse, the fire has ravaged grazing land and wiped out much of their flocks, fuelling outrage among those who said they did not have time to evacuate their herds. Emmanuelle Bernier said she was "extremely angry" when she returned to a devastating scene, finding the pen that had housed her herd of goats in ruins, with 17 animals — some close to giving birth — lost in the fire. "I will definitely change jobs. This will change my whole life", she said. Bernier's property now holds only a few geese and two sick goats after she had to temporarily entrust her surviving sheep to a local winegrower, as the damage to the farm was so extensive that they could no longer stay. French firefighters said on Saturday that the country's biggest wildfire in at least half a century was contained but would not be brought under control before Sunday evening. — AFP
