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The Star
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Star
Volunteer firefighter dies as wildfires rage across heat-stricken Spain
An aircraft makes a water drop over an area burned by a wildfire in the Atlanterra area in Tarifa, Spain, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo MADRID (Reuters) -A firefighting volunteer died from severe burns, while several people were hospitalised as dozens of wildfires fuelled by strong winds and scorching heat continued to rage across Spain on Wednesday. At least six large wildfires were still out of control on Wednesday, according to regional emergency services. The victim, a 35-year old volunteer, had been attempting to create firebreaks near the town of Nogarejas, in the north-central Castile and Leon region, when he became trapped in the blaze, regional officials said. The fire had two active fronts that were still out of control, as weather services forecast another day of strong winds and electric storms. Over 5,000 people have been evacuated in the region, which is Spain's largest, and efforts were being concentrated on preventing the flames from reaching smaller towns. Environment Minister Sara Aagesen told SER radio station that many fires across the country were suspected to be intentionally caused by arsonists due to their "virulence", but that it was too early to quantify these. On Monday, another fire had killed a man working at a horse stable on the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid and reached some houses and farms before it was contained. Northwestern Galicia's regional leader Alfonso Rueda said the situation there was "complicated" and that the weather "isn't helping", as six active fires affected a combined 10,000 hectares in Ourense province. Weather agency AEMET forecast "extreme" risk of wildfires across Spain on Wednesday. (Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Rachna Uppal)
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Volunteer firefighter dies as wildfires rage across heat-stricken Spain
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox An aircraft makes a water drop over an area burned by a wildfire in the Atlanterra area in Tarifa, Spain, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo MADRID - A firefighting volunteer died from severe burns, while several people were hospitalised as dozens of wildfires fuelled by strong winds and scorching heat continued to rage across Spain on Wednesday. At least six large wildfires were still out of control on Wednesday, according to regional emergency services. The victim, a 35-year old volunteer, had been attempting to create firebreaks near the town of Nogarejas, in the north-central Castile and Leon region, when he became trapped in the blaze, regional officials said. The fire had two active fronts that were still out of control, as weather services forecast another day of strong winds and electric storms. Over 5,000 people have been evacuated in the region, which is Spain's largest, and efforts were being concentrated on preventing the flames from reaching smaller towns. Environment Minister Sara Aagesen told SER radio station that many fires across the country were suspected to be intentionally caused by arsonists due to their "virulence", but that it was too early to quantify these. On Monday, another fire had killed a man working at a horse stable on the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid and reached some houses and farms before it was contained. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business Singapore banks face headwinds in rest of 2025, but DBS is pulling ahead: Analysts Singapore Yishun man admits to making etomidate-laced pods for vaporisers; first Kpod case conviction Singapore HSA seeks Kpod investigators to arrest abusers, conduct anti-trafficking ops Asia Malaysia's anti-graft agency busts arms smuggling ring masterminded by senior military officers Asia Mixed reactions among Malaysia drivers on S'pore move to clamp down on illegal ride-hailing services Singapore Allianz insures Singapore's first fully driverless bus amid challenges posed by autonomous vehicles Business Singapore life insurance sales surges in first half, led by boost in investment-linked plans Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story Northwestern Galicia's regional leader Alfonso Rueda said the situation there was "complicated" and that the weather "isn't helping", as six active fires affected a combined 10,000 hectares in Ourense province. Weather agency AEMET forecast "extreme" risk of wildfires across Spain on Wednesday. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
'Cooked alive': Europe's wildfires hit tourism spots and forests
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A firefighting helicopter flies over Tarifa, a day after many people, including locals and tourists, were evacuated from this town, Spain, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo MADRID/LISBON - Firefighters across Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Balkans were battling wildfires on Tuesday with another heatwave pushing temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across parts of Europe. Global warming is giving the Mediterranean region hotter, drier summers, scientists say, with wildfires surging each year and sometimes whipping up into "whirls". "We are being cooked alive, this cannot continue," said a mayor in Portugal, Alexandre Favaios, as three fires burned. On the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid, a fire killed a man working at a horse stable and reached some houses and farms but was contained by Tuesday, regional authorities said. To the south in Tarifa, on Spain's coast close to Morocco, beachgoers and celebrity chef Jose Andres filmed flames and black smoke on the hills above elegant whitewashed villas. More than 2,000 people were evacuated from Tarifa as the fire - believed to have started in eucalyptus and pine forests - spread, officials said. Helicopters doused the blaze with seawater. In Albania and Montenegro, authorities issued a heatwave warning as temperatures reached 100F (38-39C). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore Power switchboard failure led to disruption in NEL, Sengkang-Punggol LRT services: SBS Transit Singapore NEL resumes service after hours-long power fault; single-track service on Sengkang-Punggol LRT Business Ninja Van cuts 12% of Singapore workforce after 2 rounds of layoffs in 2024 Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies, aged 80 Singapore Scoot to launch flights to Chiang Rai, Okinawa, Tokyo-Haneda, boost frequency to other places Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court Germany issued heat warnings for much of the country on Monday, with temperatures above 86F (30C) expected until Friday. In Italy, red heat alerts were issued for 16 cities while in France, authorities declared red or orange weather alerts for much of the country. In Spain, temperatures were set to reach 111.2F (44C) in some regions, according to meteorology service AEMET. Minimal rainfall and windy conditions were expected to exacerbate the risk. SPANISH MILITARY HELPS Spain's Interior Ministry declared a "pre-emergency", putting national services on standby to support firefighting. Almost 1,000 members of the armed forces are already helping. Spain's largest region, Castile and Leon, had 32 wildfires raging on Tuesday with more than 1,200 firefighters involved. Five of the fires were categorised as a direct threat to nearby populations. In Leon province, around 3,780 residents were evacuated, while over 600 residents of seven towns in Zamora were also ordered to leave their homes. In north Portugal, more than 1,300 firefighters backed by 14 aircraft were battling three large fires. One of them, in the Vila Real area, has been burning for 10 days. Local mayor Favaios pleaded for more government help. "It's been 10 days of extremely hard fight against the flames, 10 days that our population is in panic, without knowing when the fire will knock on their door," he told broadcaster RTP. With two Portuguese waterbombing planes in need of repair, authorities on Monday requested help from Morocco, which sent two replacement planes. A heatwave that brought temperatures of around 40C to north Portugal in the past week showed signs of abating on Tuesday, with rain and thunderstorms expected, according to the weather service IPMA. Across the region in Albania, swathes of forest and farmland have been burnt by wildfires in the past week. Helicopters from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates assisted the Balkan state to contain 19 separate wildfires stoked by strong winds on Tuesday. In neighbouring Montenegro, authorities backed by helicopters from Serbia and Croatia contained a wildfire near the capital Podgorica on Tuesday, with the city covered by smoke. Resident Dragana Vukovic told Reuters against the backdrop of her home's smouldering rafters: "Everything that can be paid for and bought will be compensated, but the memories that burned in these four rooms and the attic cannot be compensated." 'OUT OF CONTROL' In Greece at Europe's southernmost tip, wildfires in some cases fanned by gale-force winds forced the evacuation of several villages and a hotel on the tourist islands of Zakynthos and Cephalonia in the Ionian Sea along with four other parts of the mainland. "Winds are strong and the wildfire is out of control," Zakynthos mayor Yiorgos Stasinopoulos told Greek public broadcaster ERT. Another 85 firefighters and 10 aircraft fought to stop a fire reaching houses near the western Greek town of Vonitsa. The picture was similar in Turkey where a large blaze in the northwestern province of Canakkale burned for a second day after hundreds of residents were evacuated in precaution. Wildfires in Canakkale's Ezine and Ayvacik districts, which saw Canakkale airport and the Dardanelles Strait closed on Monday, were largely brought under control by Tuesday. But blazes in the city centre in the southern part of the strait were still burning, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said in a post on X. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Wildfire near Spanish capital under control as one person dies
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People rest at a help center a day after they were evacuated from the Spanish town of Tarifa due to wildfires, in Zahara de los Atunes, Spain, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo MADRID - Firefighters have contained a wildfire near the Spanish capital Madrid, in the Tres Cantos area, which killed one person and prompted the evacuation of 180 people, regional authorities said on Tuesday. Favourable overnight conditions allowed for the fire to be contained, the Community of Madrid said in a statement. A man who had been taken by helicopter to the La Paz hospital after suffering burns on 98% of his body, later died, the Community of Madrid said. The fire affected more than 1,000 hectares. A prolonged heatwave in Spain continued on Tuesday, with temperatures set to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 F) in some regions, according to meteorology service AEMET. Scientists say the Mediterranean region's hotter, drier summers put it at a high risk of wildfires. Once fires start, dry vegetation and strong winds can cause them to spread rapidly and burn out of control, sometimes provoking fire whirls. REUTERS
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Europe swelters under heatwave
Tourists try to shelter from the blistering sun with umbrellas in Seville, southern Spain, on Sunday 29 June, during Europe's first major summer heatwave of 2025 Photograph: Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters A woman tries to cool off with water from a fountain in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City. Southern Europe is facing extreme temperatures exceeding 40C Photograph: Angelo Carconi/EPA A woman uses a fan to shade her head as temperatures rise in Bournemouth on the south coast of England on Sunday. A second amber heat health alert in two weeks came into force on Friday in parts of England Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images A couple refresh themselves at a public drinking water fountain in Seville, southern Spain Photograph: Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters A staff member offers water to the audience at Snow Patrol's performance on the Other Stage at the Glastonbury festival in Somerset, England Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA Tourists cool off under clouds of water mist at the Plaza de la Reina during a heatwave in Valencia, Spain Photograph: Manuel Bruque/EPA A man cools off at a fountain in Barcelona, Spain. Several Spanish regions are on alert for exceptionally high temperatures Photograph: Toni Albir/EPA A woman fans herself while under an umbrella at Praça Luís de Camões, Lisbon, Portugal,as high temperatures hit the city Photograph: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images People refill their water bottles from a fountain in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City Photograph: Angelo Carconi/EPA A woman fans herself near Praça Luís de Camões, Lisbon, Portugal Photograph: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images Tying to cool off in Rome, Italy Photograph: Angelo Carconi/EPA A tourist uses two umbrellas to protect herself from the sun in front of the Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, Spain Photograph: Alejandro García/EPA A woman tries to shield herself from the sun with a fan near the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy. Italy's health ministry warned of soaring temperatures across the country, issuing a red alert for 21 cities at the weekend Photograph: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images A girl cools down at a fountain in Rome, near the Vatican Photograph: Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images A woman swigs back juice during the first major heatwave of the summer in Seville, Spain Photograph: Cristina Quicler/AFP/Getty Images A man with a stroller walks past a street thermometer reading 44C during a heatwave in Sevilla, Spain, on 28 June Photograph: David Arjona/EPA
