Thursday, March 28

Fires spread in Europe, which is preparing to record record temperatures in this heat wave


Firefighters fight the fire that originated in La Teste.. / EFE

The extinction services of countries such as France, Portugal or the United Kingdom fight against the clock against the harshness of the flames while the thermometers mark forty degrees

The heat wave hits Western Europe with force, where the extinction services of various countries such as France, Portugal or the United Kingdom, among others, are fighting against the clock against the harshness of the flames. Thermometers break temperature records this Sunday with figures that will still increase in the coming days. A scenario that scientists directly relate to climate change, as greenhouse gas emissions increase in intensity, duration and frequency, thus scorching the continent.

Four days after the flames were fanned in France, the large fires declared by the heat wave have forced the emergency evacuation of “more than 14,000” residents and tourists, explained the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. The worst situation is near Bordeaux, where two large fires, which have gained intensity in recent hours, have devastated two cities since the last week. The outbreaks of Landiras and La Teste-de-Buch have already destroyed more than 10,000 hectares since last Tuesday. This Sunday some 1,200 firefighters continued to fight the flames after a long night that has left much of the contingent exhausted.

In Landiras, the Girondin Federation for the Defense of Forests Against Fire and forestry companies create firebreaks to limit the spread of fire, while in La Teste-de-Buch firefighters protect summer camps and homes. «We work on the sides to provide a solution. This is surveillance at all times, day and night, there is no rest, ”reported the communication manager of the Gironde Departmental Fire and Rescue Service, Laurent Dellac.

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Temperatures have already reached 40 degrees in various areas of the country, according to the Météo-France meteorological service, which has placed 37 departments in an orange state. The agency, which warned that “the heat is increasing, the wave is spreading across the country,” expects this Monday to be the “hottest day for the west of the country.” Thermometers could exceed 40 degrees in Brittany, Lower Normandy, Occitanie and Aquitaine.

maximum risk

The situation has changed slightly in Portugal, which has emerged from the declared state of emergency due to the fires but the authorities remain alert for the possibility of new outbreaks, says the Minister of the Interior, José Luís Carneiro. This Sunday, only a large fire was considered active, near the municipality of Chaves, in the extreme north of the country, which, according to Civil Protection, is “practically controlled” at 90%. Even so, almost the entire Portuguese territory is at maximum, very high or high risk of fires. It should be noted that the flames have destroyed between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares.

The thermometers do not drop in the United Kingdom either, where the Government declared the first national emergency due to extreme heat, an alert that implies a “risk to life”, according to the British weather agency. Despite this, the worst is not yet over. Temperatures in the south of England are forecast to top 40 degrees for the first time on Monday or Tuesday.

Fires sparked by the worst drought in 70 years and an extreme heat wave are raging across the Italian peninsula, where temperatures are expected to rise as high as 42 degrees in many northern cities next week. Firefighters were fighting yesterday against a fire that affected a forest near San Polo dei Cavalieri, about 45 kilometers from Rome, where some families were evacuated.

In Greece, after evacuating seven towns on the island of Crete as a precaution, Civil Protection announced that the fire declared on Friday in this area is “under control.”


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