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UPI
4 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.
UPI
07-08-2025
- Climate
- UPI
One killed, several injured in southern France by wildfire
France is battling its largest wildfire in decades as at least one person has been killed and 13 have been injured. Photo by Philippe Magoni/EPA Aug. 7 (UPI) -- One person is dead and 13 have been injured as the largest wildfire France has seen in decades continues to burn across the nation's southern Aude region. The community of Ribaute, within the Aude region, said in a press release Thursday that the fire broke out there Tuesday afternoon, and is now impacting nearly 40,000 acres across 15 municipalities. "It is the largest in terms of area in our country since 1949," French Director General of Civil Security and Crisis Management Julien Marion posted to X Wednesday. The Ribaute community said, one person has been killed during the fire, and of the 13 hurt, 11 are firefighters. Of those wounded, one civilian and one firefighter suffered severe injuries. Three people are also missing, and the flames have burned or damaged 36 homes and around 40 vehicles. It further noted that over 2,100 firefighters are actively battling the blaze, with military assistance. Ribaute officials have also said Thursday morning that the spread of the fire is slowing down due to a lack of wind and lower temperatures. However, residents are being asked to "remain confined inside their homes, unless ordered to evacuate by the firefighters." The French National Weather and Climate Service reported Wednesday that smoke from the flames can be seen from space, and that through Friday, "the risk of fire remains high in several [municipalities] of southern France." The cause of the fire is under active investigation, as France's National Gendarmerie, a military branch in charge of law enforcement, posted to X Thursday that it is "on the scene to identify the causes and circumstances of the fires in Aude," and is using dogs that specialize in the detection of fire accelerants.
