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Euronews
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
EU to deploy 650 firefighters to wildfire high-risk zones
Hundreds of firefighters coming from across Europe and over 20 firefighting aerial vehicles will be pre-positioned in high-risk locations for wildfires across the bloc this summer, the European Commission announced on Monday. Almost 650 firefighters from 14 European countries are to be deployed in July and August in key high-risk locations in France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain. This is the highest number since pre-positioning firefighters across the EU was launched in 2022. Greece will welcome half of those European firefighters with teams coming from Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Moldova, and Romania. Meanwhile, 22 firefighting aeroplanes and four helicopters will be stationed in 10 different member states. France and Greece will be the biggest recipients of the EU-supported summer fleet, to be coordinated and financed via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with four medium amphibious aeroplanes each. France will also have one helicopter. Other countries on the receiving end of the summer fleet include Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said in a statement that the EU's "support is tangible and makes a difference on the ground". "Extreme heat and wildfires in Europe have sadly become the new normal. I am glad the EU has more to offer than just words of concern and consolation," she added. A further 19 ground firefighting teams, of around 30 firefighters each, and one advisory and assessment team, are also ready to be mobilised by the EU, while a dedicated wildfire support team is to be established at the EU's 24/7 Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) to monitor risks and analyse scientific data. It will bring together 30 experts from EU member states as well as other countries participating in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the European Natural Hazard Scientific Partnership (ARISTOTLE), and staff from the ERCC. Greece, which also tends to be heavily hit every summer, has already announced it will deploy a record number of firefighters, including elite units in high-risk areas, and nearly double its drone fleet. Since the beginning of the year, more than 166,000 hectares have been burnt across the 27 member states, nearly three times the average recorded over the same period between 2003 and 2024, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Romania has been the worst-afflicted EU member state so far this year with more than 120,000 hectares reduced to cinders. Authorities have blamed some of the wildfires on human action, including intentional burning to clear fields. France and Spain come next but the two countries, which are traditionally more impacted by wildfires, have had different experiences. Nearly 19,000 hectares had been burnt in France by 20 May, some 2.75 times the average of the past 20 years, while in Spain, this year's tally is so far lower than the 20-year average (8,195 hectares vs 13,059). Last year's cumulative burnt areas reached 383,317 hectares, above the average of the past 20 years. The most devastating years of the past decade were in 2017 and 2022 when nearly one million and just under 800,000 hectares were razed to the ground respectively. The spread of wildfires in Europe has been blamed on climate change which has led to warmer temperatures, prolonged drought and unpredictable weather patterns, as well as on demographic changes that have led to the desertification of rural areas in favour of urban centres, meaning the land is no longer managed in the same way. The fire season has, for instance, been extended beyond the traditional summer months and now spans from early May to late October while more and more countries in eastern and northern Europe are also starting to experience such fires. According to the European and Global Drought Observatories of the Commission's Joint Research Centre, there are warning drought conditions in the Baltic Sea region, northern France, Benelux, several regions of Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, western Romania, Bulgaria, and some regions of Greece. Most of Spain, Italy, and southern France, however, either don't have drought conditions or are in recovery. The European Commission has found that Chinese online retail giant Shein, known for its rock-bottom prices, engages in illegal commercial practices under EU law, after an investigation caried out with national consumer protection authorities. Investigators concluded that Shein lures customers with fake discounts, either by displaying false original prices or by using countdown timers that reset continuously to foster an artificial sense of urgency. The Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network - a body made up of the national authorities - also flagged serious gaps in transparency: inaccurate return policies, misleading sustainability claims, and confusing product labelling. Authorities also criticised the platform for making it difficult for users to contact customer service - limiting their ability to raise questions or complaints. Shein has been given one month to respond and outline how it plans to fix the issues. If the Commission sees no progress, the company could face fines. National authorities from Belgium, France, Ireland and the Netherlands are overseeing enforcement. 'All companies selling products in the EU must play by our rules,' said Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Justice and Consumer Protection. 'Today's action sends a clear message: we will not shy away from holding e-commerce platforms to account, regardless of where they are based.' He added: 'EU consumer protection laws are not optional – they must be applied in all cases.' This isn't the first time a Chinese platform has come under scrutiny. In November, rival e-retailer Temu was also found in breach of EU consumer law. It used similarly problematic tactics and went a step further by "gamifying" the shopping experience with spin-the-wheel promotions and displaying fake product reviews. Alongside these consumer law probes, both Shein and Temu are under investigation for possible breaches of the Digital Services Act. The DSA probe focuses on algorithmic recommendation systems - how certain products are promoted to specific users - and the sale of illegal goods, such as items that fail to meet EU health and safety standards.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
UK wildfires push records in first four months of 2025
Firefighters tackle a wildfire in the Mourne Mountains, County Down, Northern Ireland (AFP) LONDON: More than 110 wildfires have raged in the UK since the start of the year, according to satellite data released Monday, making it one of the worst years on record. At least 111 fires have torched an area of nearly 24,500 hectares (94 square miles) across the country since January 1, according to data Monday from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The number of wildfires and area affected by them is higher than average for this time of the year, and higher than the same period in 2024. Only 2019 was worse in terms of the area burned (28,700 hectares) and 2022 for the number of fires (151) for the same period, according to the Press Association news agency. Last week, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said fire and rescue services had already responded to 380 wildfires so far this year in England and Wales -- more than double the same period in 2022. The EFFIS data is based on satellite readings and only maps fires that are 30 hectares or larger -- accounting for the difference with records from the local authority. In comparison, the NFCC measures wildfires with an area of at least one hectare. "A particularly dry March, followed by warmer-than-average temperatures in April, has seen a number of significant wildfires across the UK over the last fortnight," the NFCC said in a statement. The UK and Ireland had a "drier than average" March, according to Europe's Copernicus climate monitor. Last month was also the hottest March ever recorded in Europe by a significant margin. "With the increase in extreme weather events, we know that fire and rescue services are stretched as they seek to keep their communities safe," said NFCC chair Phil Garrigan. The Met Office said the fires are due to dry and breezy conditions in spring which came after a damp winter, meaning there was "fuel" for the blazes because of plant growth. Firefighters in Northern Ireland have been battling dozens of blazes in the last week, with many residents having to evacuate homes and a weather warning for wildfires. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it attended 296 wildfires between April 3-10, many of which were thought to be started deliberately. An "extreme" wildfire warning was issued for Scotland on Friday and Saturday, after multiple blazes broke out the previous week. According to Michael Humphreys from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), wetter weather last year meant fewer blazes in 2024.
Jordan Times
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Jordan Times
UK wildfires push records in first four months of 2025
LONDON — More than 110 wildfires have raged in the UK since the start of the year, according to satellite data released Monday, making it one of the worst years on record. At least 111 fires have torched an area of nearly 24,500 hectares across the country since January 1, according to data Monday from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The number of wildfires and area affected by them is higher than average for this time of the year, and higher than the same period in 2024. Only 2019 was worse in terms of the area burned (28,700 hectares) and 2022 for the number of fires (151) for the same period, according to the Press Association news agency. Last week, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said fire and rescue services had already responded to 380 wildfires so far this year in England and Wales -- more than double the same period in 2022. The EFFIS data is based on satellite readings and only maps fires that are 30 hectares or larger -- accounting for the difference with records from the local authority. In comparison, the NFCC measures wildfires with an area of at least one hectare. "A particularly dry March, followed by warmer-than-average temperatures in April, has seen a number of significant wildfires across the UK over the last fortnight," the NFCC said in a statement. The UK and Ireland had a "drier than average" March, according to Europe's Copernicus climate monitor. Last month was also the hottest March ever recorded in Europe by a significant margin. "With the increase in extreme weather events, we know that fire and rescue services are stretched as they seek to keep their communities safe," said NFCC chair Phil Garrigan. The Met Office said the fires are due to dry and breezy conditions in spring which came after a damp winter, meaning there was "fuel" for the blazes because of plant growth. Firefighters in Northern Ireland have been battling dozens of blazes in the last week, with many residents having to evacuate homes and a weather warning for wildfires. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it attended 296 wildfires between April 3-10, many of which were thought to be started deliberately. An "extreme" wildfire warning was issued for Scotland on Friday and Saturday, after multiple blazes broke out the previous week. According to Michael Humphreys from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), wetter weather last year meant fewer blazes in 2024.
