Latest news with #JaimeAparicio
Metro
6 hours ago
- Climate
- Metro
Smoke from apocalyptic wildfires in Spain and Portugal causing overcast UK skies
Smoke from wildfires raging across Europe has blown thousands of miles causing thick clouds to blot out the sun over swathes of the UK. Spain has been battling 14 major fires driven by high winds that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London. Friday's bright summer weather, which made thousands flock to the beach in heatwave conditions, came to a dismal end on Saturday in the UK. The Met Office posted on X: 'Noticed the sky isn't as blue today? Smoke from wildfires in Spain & Portugal, plus Saharan dust, has drifted over the UK. 'Expect enhanced sunsets & sunrises in the coming days — deeper reds & oranges thanks to light scattering.' Smoke from wildfires can travel thousands of miles if it is caught in jetstream. Toxic fumes can remain in the atmosphere for months, depending the intensity of the fires and weather patterns, according to the BBC. Firefighters have been battling to put out blazes across southern Europe in one of the worst summers for wildfires in 20 years. A nearly two-week heatwave and southerly winds were worsening the situation in Spain. 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 (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on the north coast. 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 Galicia, several fires converged to form a large blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail services to the region. 'We are waiting for the fire to come down to try and stop it, so it does not get to the houses,' Loli Baz, 52, said from the village of Villanueva de la Sierra in Zamora. A second volunteer firefighter has died after battling a wildfire in the northern Spanish province of Leon. Local media identified the man as 37-year-old Jaime Aparicio, who suffered burns to 85% of his body after being trapped alongside another volunteer near the town of Nogarejas as they attempted to create firebreaks with brush cutters. His colleague Abel Ramos, 35, died on Tuesday. On Monday, a separate fire killed a man on the outskirts of Madrid. Police said they arrested a man in northern Zamora province for starting a fire on a plot of land used to dump rubbish illegally. The hot weather caused it to spread rapidly, burning 4,000 hectares (15.4 square miles) and leaving five people injured, they said. 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. More Trending 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. Portugal has activated the EU mechanism for assistance and requested four Canadair planes, according to civil protection commander Mario Silvestre. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his 'heartfelt condolences' to Carlos Damaso, a former mayor of the town, who perished tackling a blaze in his district. MORE: We swerved a beach honeymoon for a European city break — we're itching to go back MORE: Terrified families jump into the sea to escape raging wildfires in Greece MORE: Venetians are up in arms after tourists expose 'secret' €2 gondola rides
Metro
7 hours ago
- Climate
- Metro
Smoke from apocalyptic wildfires in Spain and Portugal smother UK skies
Smoke from wildfires raging across Europe has blown thousands of miles causing thick clouds to blot out the sun over swathes of the UK. Spain has been battling 14 major fires driven by high winds that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London. Friday's bright summer weather, which made thousands flock to the beach in heatwave conditions, came to a dismal end on Saturday in the UK. The Met Office posted on X: 'Noticed the sky isn't as blue today? Smoke from wildfires in Spain & Portugal, plus Saharan dust, has drifted over the UK. 'Expect enhanced sunsets & sunrises in the coming days — deeper reds & oranges thanks to light scattering.' Firefighters have been battling to put out blazes across southern Europe in one of the worst summers for wildfires in 20 years. A nearly two-week heatwave and southerly winds were worsening the situation in Spain. 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 (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on the north coast. 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 Galicia, several fires converged to form a large blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail services to the region. 'We are waiting for the fire to come down to try and stop it, so it does not get to the houses,' Loli Baz, 52, said from the village of Villanueva de la Sierra in Zamora. A second volunteer firefighter has died after battling a wildfire in the northern Spanish province of Leon. Local media identified the man as 37-year-old Jaime Aparicio, who suffered burns to 85% of his body after being trapped alongside another volunteer near the town of Nogarejas as they attempted to create firebreaks with brush cutters. His colleague Abel Ramos, 35, died on Tuesday. On Monday, a separate fire killed a man on the outskirts of Madrid. Police said they arrested a man in northern Zamora province for starting a fire on a plot of land used to dump rubbish illegally. The hot weather caused it to spread rapidly, burning 4,000 hectares (15.4 square miles) and leaving five people injured, they said. 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. Portugal has activated the EU mechanism for assistance and requested four Canadair planes, according to civil protection commander Mario Silvestre. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his 'heartfelt condolences' to Carlos Damaso, a former mayor of the town, who perished tackling a blaze in his district. MORE: We swerved a beach honeymoon for a European city break — we're itching to go back MORE: Terrified families jump into the sea to escape raging wildfires in Greece MORE: Venetians are up in arms after tourists expose 'secret' €2 gondola rides
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Climate
- TimesLIVE
Wildfires kill three across southern Europe, force thousands to evacuate
Hundreds of firefighters battled to put out wildfires across southern Europe on Thursday, some of which are believed to have been set deliberately by arsonists and were stoked by an extended heatwave gripping the region. The EU sent reinforcements to help Greece and Spain tackle blazes which have killed three firefighters, damaged homes and buildings and razed swathes of farm and forest land, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. Hot and dry summers have been common in the Mediterranean region. However, wildfires fanned by intense heat and winds, the result of a fast-changing climate, scientists said, have become more destructive and tougher to control. From Portugal to Spain, Albania and Greece, firefighters struggled to contain towering walls of flames threatening life and property. The Iberian Peninsula alone made up about half of the EU's burnt area of about 500,000 hectares so far this year, according to estimates by the European Forest Fire Information System. In Greece, more than 200 firefighters assisted by 11 aircraft battled to extinguish a blaze near the port city of Patras in the western Peloponnese. Elevated temperatures stoked tinderbox conditions. 'In such circumstances a spark is enough to start a fire which can quickly spin out of control,' said Greece's civil protection and climate change minister Giannis Kefalogiannis. Three people suspected of deliberately igniting wildfires near Patras were arrested and expected to appear before a public prosecutor on Thursday, a senior police official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Greece has made available a record number of about 18,000 firefighters this year. In Spain, three people, including volunteer firefighters, died amid dozens of wildfires this week as the country baked in a heatwave for an 11th day with temperatures as high as 44°C in some areas, expected to last until Monday. Local media identified the latest victim as 37-year-old Jaime Aparicio, who suffered burns to 85% of his body after being trapped together with another volunteer firefighter as they attempted to create firebreaks with brush cutters. On Thursday, 11 large fires threatened built-up areas, forcing authorities to evacuate more than 9,000 residents and to cut off roads and suspend rail services. In Portugal, nearly 1,000 firefighters battled a blaze near the scenic mountain village of Piodao. Crews managed to bring under control a wildfire burning for 11 days, the longest this season, in the mountainous area of Vila Real in the north. In Albania, soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers, supported by helicopters and an Italian Canadair fire jet, battled to contain separate fronts in the Sopot area between Delvina and Gjirokastra on Thursday after blazes raging for days damaged dozens of homes and charred agricultural land. Prime minister Edi Rama said on Thursday 137 arsonists have been identified since June and several were being arrested. Clirim Conku, a 61-year-old farmer in southern Albania, lost vineyards, olive groves and all his livestock in a wildfire, but was relieved he and his faithful dog survived. 'I was using everything to keep the flames out. To fight the smoke a napkin saved my life. I put some water on it but it stayed wet more with sweat,' he said. Others were bitter that a lifetime of work was gone in minutes. Restaurant owner Dimitris Daskas, 57, whose business was close to Patras, broke his arm while trying to save his property and was left without water or power as the flames approached. He told Reuters: 'My wife was calling (emergency services) to say we are on fire. They didn't pick up.'
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Thousands flee deadly wildfires in Europe
Hundreds of firefighters battled to put out wildfires across southern Europe on Thursday (local time), some of which are believed to have been set deliberately by arsonists and stoked by an extended heat wave gripping the region. The European Union sent reinforcements to help Greece and Spain tackle blazes which have killed three firefighters, damaged homes and buildings and razed swathes of farm and forest land, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. Hot and dry summers have been common in the Mediterranean region. But wildfires fanned by intense heat and winds, the result of a fast-changing climate, scientists say, have become more destructive and tougher to control. From Portugal to Spain, Albania and Greece, firefighters struggled to contain towering walls of flames threatening life and property. The Iberian Peninsula alone made up about half of the EU's burned area of some 500,000 hectares so far this year, according to estimates by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). In Greece, more than 200 firefighters assisted by 11 aircraft battled to extinguish a blaze near the port city of Patras in the western Peloponnese. Elevated temperatures stoked tinderbox conditions. "In such circumstances just a spark is enough to start a fire which can quickly spin out of control," said Greece's Civil Protection and Climate Change Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis. Three people suspected of deliberately igniting wildfires near Patras were arrested and expected to appear before a public prosecutor on Thursday, a senior police official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Greece has made available a record number of some 18,000 firefighters this year. RAGING INFERNO In Spain, three people, including volunteer firefighters, died amid dozens of wildfires this week, as the country baked in a heat wave for an 11th day with temperatures as high as 44 degrees Celsius in some areas, expected to last until Monday. Local media identified the latest victim as 37-year-old Jaime Aparicio who suffered burns to 85% of his body after being trapped alongside another volunteer firefighter as they attempted to create firebreaks with brush cutters. On Thursday, 11 large fires threatened built-up areas, forcing authorities to evacuate over 9000 residents, and to cut off roads and suspend rail services. In Portugal, nearly 1000 firefighters battled a blaze near the scenic mountain village of Piodao. Crews managed to bring under control a wildfire burning for 11 days - the longest for this season - in the mountainous area of Vila Real in the north. In Albania, soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers, supported by helicopters and an Italian Canadair fire jet, battled to contain separate fronts in the Sopot area between Delvina and Gjirokastra on Thursday after blazes raging for days damaged dozens of homes and charred agricultural land. Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Thursday 137 arsonists had been identified since June, and several were being arrested. Clirim Conku, a 61-year-old farmer in southern Albania, lost vineyards, olive groves and all his livestock in a wildfire but was relieved he and his faithful dog survived. "I was using everything to keep the flames out. For example to fight the smoke this napkin has saved my life. I put some water on it but it stayed wet more with sweat," he said. Others were bitter that a lifetime of work was gone in minutes. Restaurant owner Dimitris Daskas, 57, whose business was close to Patras, broke his arm while trying to save his property and was left without water or power as the flames approached. "My wife was calling (emergency services) to say we are on fire; they didn't even pick up," he told Reuters.
West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
Alleged arsonist arrested over Spain wildfire
A second volunteer firefighter has died after battling a wildfire in the northern Spanish province of Leon, while police have arrested a man for allegedly starting a separate blaze as the country faced one of its worst summers for fires in 20 years. "Today we mourn the death of another member of the team fighting fires in Leon," Nicanor Sen, the national government's representative in Castile and Leon wrote on X. Local media identified the man as 37-year-old Jaime Aparicio, who suffered burns to 85 per cent of his body after being trapped alongside another volunteer near the town of Nogarejas as they attempted to create firebreaks with brush cutters. He was the seventh fatality linked to wildfires this year. His colleague Abel Ramos, 35, died on Tuesday. On Monday, a separate fire killed a man on the outskirts of Madrid. Police said they arrested a man in northern Zamora province for starting a fire on a plot of land used to dump rubbish illegally. The hot weather caused it to spread rapidly, burning 4000ha and leaving five people injured, they said. Another man was arrested for provoking six fires earlier in August in the southern province of Malaga, police said on Thursday. Ten people have been arrested since June 1, said police, who were investigating a further 38 for deliberately starting forest fires. Convicted arsonists in Spain could face up to five years in prison and hefty fines. Three firemen were in critical condition for burns they sustained fighting a fire near Ourense in the northwestern region of Galicia. Spain's wildfires are being fanned by one of the longest heatwaves since records began. They have razed about 148,000ha in Spain this year, the second-biggest area since 2006. That makes up more than a quarter of the 512,000ha burned in the EU so far this year, according to the European Commission's European Forest Fire Information System. In Galicia, about 170 children and those supervising them spent Tuesday confined to their summer camp grounds after a wildfire burned the cables of the camp's power system, the regional government said in a statement. The campers were rescued and moved to a water park on Wednesday. "We were really scared, but in the midst of the fire, with a few tears, we and the monitors were also dancing. The sky was orange, but everything worked out in the end," 12-year-old Carlota told news agency Europa Press. Spain received two Canadair water-bombing planes from France on Thursday after it asked for help from European partners to tackle the fires, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said in an interview on RTVE. Nearly two dozen blazes continued to rage, fuelled by wind and extreme heat. Around 9500 people were evacuated from their towns and hundreds ordered to stay at home.
