Latest news with #EUCivilProtectionMechanism
UPI
a day ago
- Climate
- UPI
Spain warns of 'extreme fire danger' amid heat wave
Spain on Friday warned of 'very high or extreme fire danger in most of the country,' as firefighters there continue battling 14 blazes in temperatures up to 104 degrees. Photo by Eliseo Trigo/EPA-EFE Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Spain on Friday warned of "very high or extreme fire danger in most of the country," as firefighters there continue battling 14 blazes in temperatures up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "The danger will remain at very high or extreme levels during the weekend and Monday, days when the heatwave affecting us since the beginning of the month continues," AEMET, the state weather association, said on X Friday. Wildfires in the European country have already consumed approximately 580 square miles of land, leading to seven deaths. "Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires," Spanish President Pedro Sanchez wrote on X Friday. "The government remains fully committed with all resources to stop the fire. Thank you, always, to those who fight on the front line to protect us." The flames have forced the closures of highways and rail systems in parts of the country, including the train connecting the northern Spanish region of Galicia to the capital of Madrid. Neighboring Greece and Portugal are dealing with similar weather conditions. Spain's total makes up around a quarter of the 2,429 square miles burned by wildfires across Europe, roughly the size of the state of Delaware. On Thursday, the European Union sent two planes to help fight wildfires in Spain, under a reciprocal agreement. Spain is the fifth country so far this year to ask for help under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania also seeking assistance. One of those countries, Greece, is dealing with a fire on the Greek island of Chios, which is largely without water and electricity.
UPI
2 days ago
- Climate
- UPI
EU sending assistance for Spain wildfires
The European Union has sent two planes to assist Spain in taking care of wildfires, after Spain activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time ever for forest fires. Photo by EPA Philippe Magoni Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The European Union sent two planes to assist Spain in taking care of wildfires, after Spain activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time ever for forest fires. The commission mobilized two rescEU planes on Thursday. Three people have been reported killed by the current wildfires in the city of Leon and one near Madrid. "We are struck once again by the death of a second volunteer who has lost their life in Leon. All our love and support go out to their family and friends during this unbearable time," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on social media on Thursday. Spain's weather agency AEMET warned that a heat wave exceeding 111 degrees Fahrenheit will continue until Monday. Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska had requested two Canadiar bomber aircraft to help. "At the moment we don't need the two Canadair planes urgently but given the weather forecast, we want to have those planes in our national territory as soon as possible so they can be used, should they be necessary," he said. "At this time, the government does not rule out requesting more firefighters," he added. Alongside Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania have all requested help to deal with forest fires. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated 16 times throughout this current fire season; the number of activations for 2025 is already equivalent to the total activations for 2024's wildfires during the whole fire season. Roughly 1,084,792 acres of land have been burnt since the start of the year due to wildfires and 1628 fires have been detected since the beginning of 2025.
Euractiv
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
EU disaster mechanism hits record wildfire activations as Europe keeps burning
The EU stands ready to help countries battling wildfires as its disaster response mechanism hits a record 16 activations this summer, the European Commission said on Thursday. The surge in requests puts the bloc on course for a record-breaking year for emergency deployments, as some of the most destructive wildfires in recent memory continue to rage across Southern Europe and the Balkans. So far, blazes driven by extreme heat, strong winds and, in some cases, arson have scorched around 440,000 hectares, according to Reuters . That is nearly twice the size of Luxembourg. Greece, Albania, Cyprus, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina have all sought help through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which has been in place since 2001 but has seen a sharp rise in use in recent years. On Wednesday, Spain activated the Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time to tackle forest fires, becoming the 16th activation this summer, Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said. She added that this matches last year's total with weeks still to go. The system coordinates cross-border disaster relief and covers the transport and operational costs of deployments, though firefighting remains a national responsibility. 'I think the situation shows that we are able to act very swiftly and that we are able to cover the needs of the states that ask for help,' she said. 'It's up to the member states to take the right measures to prevent these man-made fires." But "we are here to coordinate and contribute as much as we can." The mechanism can also be activated by any country in the world, even international organisations. For example, earlier this summer, Italian, Cypriot and Croatian planes were deployed in Israel to get a wildfire under control. (mm)
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Tribune
Thousands battle Greece fires as heatwave bakes Europe
TDT| Agencies Greece battled a dozen major wildfires on Wednesday, including one threatening its thirdlargest city Patras, as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans and Britain have this week wilted in high temperatures that fuel wildfires and which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying. Greece Thousands of firefighters backed by the army deployed across Greece, with fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis saying 'the situation remains difficult' for 'forces waging a tough battle'. 'It's a cocktail of high temperatures, strong winds... and minimal humidity,' the head of civil protection for Western Greece, Nikos Gyftakis, told public broadcaster ERT. AFP journalists saw residents and firefighters backed by helicopters frantically attempt to douse flames in scrubland and forests outside Patras, with thick smoke reducing visibility. Officials evacuated 12 children from a Patras hospital, Vathrakogiannis said. Eighty elderly people were removed from a retirement home, and local media footage showed the roof of a nearby 17th-century monastery ablaze. Other fronts were burning on the popular Ionian tourist islands of Zante and Cephalonia and the Aegean island of Chios, scarred by a huge wildfire in June that ravaged more than 4,000 hectares. Around 20 villages were evacuated in the western Achaia region on Tuesday, while the Greek coastguard said nearly 80 people were removed from Chios and near Patras. Vathrakogiannis said 71 people had received medical care, mostly in the western town of Preveza and the Patras area. After Greece requested four water bombers from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to bolster its resources, the main opposition PASOK Socialist party questioned the conservative government's preparedness for fires that strike every year. 'A fully reformed civil protection system with an emphasis on prevention is required,' PASOK said, identifying a poor coordination of forces and a lack of local emergency plans that made firefighting 'extremely challenging'. Spain Wildfires dominated the news in Spain, where flames have threatened a world heritage Roman mining site in the northwestern region of Castile and Leon. Regional authorities said almost 6,000 people from 26 localities had been evacuated from their homes, while seven people had been admitted to hospital for burns, including four in critical condition. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said late Wednesday that Spain had asked the European Union for help, including the deployment of two water-bombing planes. He urged European partners to deploy the planes quickly given 'weather forecasts' that could worsen the blazes, telling broadcaster Cadena Ser radio that Spain would also request firefighter deployments if necessary. Bushy undergrowth and searing temperatures that have baked Spain for almost two weeks had created 'the worst possible breeding ground for this situation', said Castile and Leon's civil protection head Irene Cortes. A total of 199 wildfires have scorched nearly 98,784 hectares (244,100 acres) across Spain this year -- more than double the area burned during the same period in 2024. Portugal Neighbouring Portugal deployed more than 2,100 firefighters and 20 aircraft against five major blazes, with efforts focused on a fire in the central municipality of Trancoso that has raged since Saturday. Strong gusts of wind had rekindled flames overnight and threatened nearby villages, where television images showed locals volunteering to help firefighters under a thick cloud of smoke. 'It's scary... but we are always ready to help each other,' a mask-wearing farmer told Sic Noticias television, holding a spade in his hand. A separate fire in a mountainous zone of Arganil in central Portugal smothered several villages with smoke, prompting the evacuation of elderly residents in particular. Balkans Dozens of blazes stretched emergency services in the Balkans, where a severe drought and a prolonged heatwave have exacerbated the region's traditional fire season. An 80-yearold man died in Albania late Tuesday after he lost control of a fire he had started in his garden. The blaze quickly spread to neighbouring homes, injuring eight people. Authorities have evacuated residents in parts of central and southern Albania, but easing weather conditions in neighbouring Montenegro helped firefighters protect homes. The country mourned a soldier who died in a water truck overturn near the capital Podgorica on Tuesday, with the defence ministry speaking of a 'heavy loss'. Britain Historically temperate Britain sweated through its fourth heatwave of the summer, with the previously unthinkable prospect of wildfires now a real threat. A blaze in northern England's North York Moors national park was declared a 'major incident' on Wednesday and covered around five square kilometres (nearly two square miles), firefighters said.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Thousands battle Greece fires as heatwave bakes Europe
PATRAS: Greece battled a dozen major wildfires on Wednesday, including one threatening its third-largest city Patras, as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans and Britain have this week wilted in high temperatures that fuel wildfires and which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying. Greece Thousands of firefighters backed by the army deployed across Greece, with fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis saying 'the situation remains difficult' for 'forces waging a tough battle'. 'It's a cocktail of high temperatures, strong winds... and minimal humidity,' the head of civil protection for Western Greece, Nikos Gyftakis, told public broadcaster ERT. AFP journalists saw residents and firefighters backed by helicopters frantically attempt to douse flames in scrubland and forests outside Patras, with thick smoke reducing visibility. Officials evacuated 12 children from a Patras hospital, Vathrakogiannis said. Eighty elderly people were removed from a retirement home, and local media footage showed the roof of a nearby 17th-century monastery ablaze. Other fronts were burning on the popular Ionian tourist islands of Zante and Cephalonia and the Aegean island of Chios, scarred by a huge wildfire in June that ravaged more than 4,000 hectares. Around 20 villages were evacuated in the western Achaia region on Tuesday, while the Greek coastguard said nearly 80 people were removed from Chios and near Patras. Vathrakogiannis said 71 people had received medical care, mostly in the western town of Preveza and the Patras area. After Greece requested four water bombers from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to bolster its resources, the main opposition PASOK Socialist party questioned the conservative government's preparedness for fires that strike every year. 'A fully reformed civil protection system with an emphasis on prevention is required,' PASOK said, identifying a poor coordination of forces and a lack of local emergency plans that made firefighting 'extremely challenging'. Spain Wildfires dominated the news in Spain, where flames have threatened a world heritage Roman mining site in the northwestern region of Castile and Leon. Regional authorities said almost 6,000 people from 26 localities had been evacuated from their homes, while seven people had been admitted to hospital for burns, including four in critical condition. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said late Wednesday that Spain had asked the European Union for help, including the deployment of two water-bombing planes. He urged European partners to deploy the planes quickly given 'weather forecasts' that could worsen the blazes, telling broadcaster Cadena Ser radio that Spain would also request firefighter deployments if necessary. Bushy undergrowth and searing temperatures that have baked Spain for almost two weeks had created 'the worst possible breeding ground for this situation', said Castile and Leon's civil protection head Irene Cortes. A total of 199 wildfires have scorched nearly 98,784 hectares (244,100 acres) across Spain this year -- more than double the area burned during the same period in 2024. Portugal Neighbouring Portugal deployed more than 2,100 firefighters and 20 aircraft against five major blazes, with efforts focused on a fire in the central municipality of Trancoso that has raged since Saturday. Strong gusts of wind had rekindled flames overnight and threatened nearby villages, where television images showed locals volunteering to help firefighters under a thick cloud of smoke. 'It's scary... but we are always ready to help each other,' a mask-wearing farmer told Sic Noticias television, holding a spade in his hand. A separate fire in a mountainous zone of Arganil in central Portugal smothered several villages with smoke, prompting the evacuation of elderly residents in particular. Balkans Dozens of blazes stretched emergency services in the Balkans, where a severe drought and a prolonged heatwave have exacerbated the region's traditional fire season. An 80-year-old man died in Albania late Tuesday after he lost control of a fire he had started in his garden. The blaze quickly spread to neighbouring homes, injuring eight people. Authorities have evacuated residents in parts of central and southern Albania, but easing weather conditions in neighbouring Montenegro helped firefighters protect homes. The country mourned a soldier who died in a water truck overturn near the capital Podgorica on Tuesday, with the defence ministry speaking of a 'heavy loss'. Britain Historically temperate Britain sweated through its fourth heatwave of the summer, with the previously unthinkable prospect of wildfires now a real threat. A blaze in northern England's North York Moors national park was declared a 'major incident' on Wednesday and covered around five square kilometres (nearly two square miles), firefighters said - AFP
