Huge Forest Fire Kills Dozens in Central Portugal

Al-Qaeda Blamed for Europe-wide Forest Fires
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Al-Qaeda has been blamed for a recent series of forest fires across Europe, as the head of Russia's Federal Security Service claimed they were set by arsonists as part of the group's low-cost attack strategy.

"One should note that setting fires to forests in the countries of the European Union is a new tendency in al-Qaeda's strategy of a 'thousand cuts'," Alexander Bortnikov said, according to state news agency RIA Novosti, at a meeting of heads of security agencies.

"This method allows (al-Qaeda) to inflict significant economic and moral damage without serious preliminary preparations, technical equipment or significant expenses." » | Source: AFP | Wednesday, October 03, 2012

In Russland wütet das ewige Feuer
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Wegen der langen Hitzeperiode sind in Russland mehrere Waldbrände ausgebrochen. Mehr als 20 Menschen wurden dabei schon getötet. Einschätzungen von Christof Franzen, SF-Korrespondent, in Moskau


Verbunden / Related >>>

Fires Kill Dozens in Russia Heatwave
ABC News: Forest fires sweeping across eastern Russia have killed at least 25 people and the forced the evacuation of thousands in the hottest weather since records began 130 years ago.

Fanned by strong winds, fires ripped through woods and fields that have been scorched for weeks by a heatwave, incinerating hundreds of wooden houses.

"We don't know where to go," said Galina Shibanova, 52, standing outside her burning home in the town of Maslovka in the Voronezh region, about 500 kilometres south of Moscow.

"We called the emergency services, and not one person answered the phone," said Ms Shibanova.

Igor Vlasnev, head of the Voronezh region fire services, said the situation was expected to worsen on Saturday because of rising temperatures.

"Everyone is waiting, and wishing, for rain," he said.

"The forecast for tomorrow is that the situation will worsen both in terms of temperature and wind conditions, which are expected to change (on Saturday night)."

Russia has been sweltering since June in a heatwave that has destroyed crops and pushed thousands of farmers to the verge of bankruptcy. >>> Reuters | Saturday, July 31, 2010

Russia Mobilizes Army to Fight Deadly Fires

Workers Overwhelmed as B.C. Burns
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Vancouver – One of the worst outbreaks of forest fires in British Columbia history is beginning to overwhelm the province's hard pressed firefighting crews.

Firefighters who have been battling for weeks in scorching heat to keep scores of raging fires at bay are being forced to let many fires burn unchecked so they can concentrate on those posing the gravest threat to communities.

Hundreds of new fires have been reported in the past few days and crews just can't keep up, information officer Radha Fisher said Monday. “There are a lot of fires burning out there, and right now, we have to prioritize.”

Gusting winds fanned dangerous fires on the outskirts of several municipalities overnight into Monday, forcing a new round of evacuations and more than doubling the number of British Columbians driven from their homes by advancing flames to more than 5,300.

“We're getting about 100 to 150 new starts a day. We've also seen some very aggressive growth on existing fires,” Ms. Fisher said. “It's a pretty extreme situation, so we have to concentrate our resources where there are property and people to protect. This is one of our most challenging years ever, and it's not over.” >>> Rod Mickleburgh | Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Watch CTVNews video here

Related:
Forest Fires Rage in Spain, Greece >>> AFP | Monday, August 03, 2009

Islam Group Urges Forest Fire Jihad
THEAGE.COM.AU: AUSTRALIA has been singled out as a target for "forest jihad" by a group of Islamic extremists urging Muslims to deliberately light bushfires as a weapon of terror.

US intelligence channels earlier this year identified a website calling on Muslims in Australia, the US, Europe and Russia to "start forest fires", claiming "scholars have justified chopping down and burning the infidels' forests when they do the same to our lands".

The website, posted by a group called the Al-Ikhlas Islamic Network, argues in Arabic that lighting fires is an effective form of terrorism justified in Islamic law under the "eye for an eye" doctrine.

The posting — which instructs jihadis to remember "forest jihad" in summer months — says fires cause economic damage and pollution, tie up security agencies and can take months to extinguish so that "this terror will haunt them for an extended period of time".

"Imagine if, after all the losses caused by such an event, a jihadist organisation were to claim responsibility for the forest fires," the website says. "You can hardly begin to imagine the level of fear that would take hold of people in the United States, in Europe, in Russia and in Australia."

With the nation heading into another hot, dry summer, Australian intelligence agencies are treating the possibility that bushfires could be used as a weapon of terrorism as a serious concern. >>> Josh Gordon | Sunday, September 7, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Australia) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback – Australia) >>>

”Greece Has the Feel of a Country on a War Footing”
BBC: Firefighting aircraft from several countries are helping Greece tackle devastating forest fires that have killed at least 60 people.

Large swathes of Greece - from the island of Evia north of Athens to the Peloponnese in the south - have been ravaged by the inferno since Friday.

Greek police have arrested 32 arson suspects, as investigations continue into the origins of the blazes.

A 1m euro (£678,000) reward has been offered to help catch fire-starters.

Dozens of new fires continue to break out, fanned by hot, dry winds.

'War footing'

The BBC's Malcolm Brabant, in Athens, says the police and intelligence services will be keen to discover if there is any link between the suspected arsonist, and whether they are part of an organised scorched earth campaign.

Greece has the feel of a country on a war footing, our correspondent says. Foreigners help fight Greek fires (more)

Map of affected areas

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Reward to find Greek arsonists

Mark Alexander

Grèce: le feu menace Olympie
LE FIGARO: Alors que les incendies de forêt ont fait au moins 51 morts depuis vendredi dans le Péloponnèse, Athènes a demandé une assistance aux Etats-Unis et à la Russie.

Le feu continue à gagner du terrain, en Grèce. Le bilan des victimes est lourd. En trois jours, ces incendies auraient déjà fait au moins 51 morts dans le Péloponnèse, au sud du pays. Le ministère de la Santé a informé dans la matinée de la découverte de deux nouveaux corps, près de Mégalopolis.

Dimanche, sans s’être calmé ailleurs, le feu a commencé à menacer le site archéologique d’Olympie. Selon les pompiers, il était en milieu d’après-midi à 1,5 km du site, berceau des Jeux olympiques, dans l’Antiquité, et classé sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco. Les autorités ont demandé l'évacuation de plusieurs localités aux alentours du site, dans l'ouest du Péloponnèse.

40 villages evacuees

Dans le Péloponnèse et en Eubée, quarante villages ont été évacués. L'ensemble du pays a été placé en état d'urgence samedi par le premier ministre Costas Karamanlis, tandis qu'un deuil national de trois jours a été décrété.

Quelque 1.010 pompiers, assistés de 425 soldats et de 16 avions et hélicoptères luttent sur place contre les flammes. De nombreux habitants de la région ont passé la nuit sur les plages.

Les incendies continuent aussi de faire rage dans le sud-ouest de l'île d'Eubée, au nord-est d'Athènes. Un autre, dans la région de Kératéa, dans la grande banlieue balnéaire d'Athènes, était, lui, en passe d'être contrôlé, ont dit les pompiers. Grèce: le feu menace Olympie (suivant)

NZZ:
Feuerwalze erreicht Olympia: Unzählige Wald- und Buschbrände in Griechenland fordern über 50 Todesopfer (mehr)

BBC:
Greek fires threaten ancient city

TIMESONLINE:
51 dead as Greek forest fires rage on

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Fires reach heritage site

Mark Alexander