Lebanon Wildfires: Firefighters Hampered by Government Budget Freeze

Jul 15, 2023 | Unusually high temperatures in Lebanon are being blamed for a surge in wildfires. Firefighters are struggling to cope because the government is almost bankrupt. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from Akkar, northern Lebanon.

Airpocalypse: David Wallace-Wells on Red Skies, Raging Wildfires & Pollution Link to Climate Crisis

Jun 8, 2023 | Record-breaking Canadian wildfires continue to fill skies across much of North America with smoke, putting about 100 million people under air quality alerts. New York City recorded the worst air quality of any major city in the world as a result of the haze. Around the world, air pollution is already responsible for as many as 10 million deaths per year, and the problem is likely to get worse, says New York Times opinion writer David Wallace-Wells. He explains how today's smoky skies are a glimpse of our future in the climate crisis, when warmer temperatures and dry conditions will continue to increase the size and severity of wildfires across the globe. "It's not just that we're getting more fires, and it's not even that they're getting larger. They're also getting much more intense, which means that they are cooking much of the landscape," says Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming. We also hear from Cree/Iroquois/French journalist Brandi Morin, who just returned from reporting on the wildfires raging in the remote Indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan in Canada's North, which she calls the "epicenter of the effects of climate change because it's downstream from one of the largest oil production developments in the world, Alberta's oil sands."

Canada Wildfires Blanket North American Cities in Smoke - BBC News

Jun 7, 2023 | Millions of people in North America woke up to dangerous air quality levels as intense wildfires burn across Canada. A haze hangs over the north-eastern US with some cities, including New York, briefly reporting the worst air quality of any major city in the world. Much of the smoke is coming from Quebec where 160 fires are burning.

Related material.

Canada Wildfires Cause Smoky Skies and Spark Air-quality Alerts in North-East US

THE GUARDIAN: Hazy skies hung over north-eastern US a day after the midwest received a similar alert from the Environmental Protection Agency

The sun is shrouded as it rises in a hazy, smoky sky behind the Empire State Building in New York City on 6 June. Photograph: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Canada is dealing with a series of intense wildfires that have spread from the western provinces to Quebec, with hundreds of forest fires burning. Wind has carried smoke from the fires southward, triggering air-quality alerts throughout the United States.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday issued a poor air-quality alert for New England, a day after parts of Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota received a similar advisory. Last week, US officials as far south as Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania reported being affected by the wildfires. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, June 7, 2023

From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, Wildfires Spread Across Canada: Hundreds of wildfires are burning nationwide, expanding a sense of unease in the country as thick smoke billowed over Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. »

Tracking the Smoke From the Canadian Fires »

Wildfires Are Intensifying. Here’s How to Protect Your Health.: Wildfire smoke is “like tobacco smoke without the nicotine,” one expert said. Here are some ways to keep yourself — and your family — healthy. »

EN FRANÇAIS :

Feux au Canada : le Québec, dernière victime des incendies hors norme qui ravagent le pays : Le pays connaît une saison intense de feux de forêts. Selon le gouvernement fédéral, 2 214 incendies ont consumé environ 3,3 millions d’hectares ces dernières semaines. Au total, 120 000 personnes ont déjà été forcées de quitter leur domicile et 26 200 autres sont en cours d’évacuation. »

A New York, les incendies canadiens rendent l’air irrespirable : L’indice de qualité de l’air ne cesse de se dégrader dans la mégapole américaine, où il est conseillé de ne pas sortir et d’utiliser des masques. »

France wildfire forces thousands to flee - BBC News

Aug 11, 2022 More than 1,000 firefighters are battling a "monster" wildfire in the south-western France that has already destroyed nearly 7,000 hectares of forest.

The raging blaze near the city of Bordeaux has gutted a number of homes and forced 10,000 residents to flee.

European countries have seen a wave of deadly wildfires this summer, triggered by record temperatures and droughts across the continent.

US Consider Declaring Climate Emergency as Wildfires Tear through California - BBC News

Jul 25, 2022 US President Joe Biden is said to be considering whether to declare a climate emergency as wildfires tear across California.

Around 6,000 people have already been evacuated from their homes as firefighters admit high temperatures are hampering their efforts.

A state of emergency has already been declared around Yosemite National Park where ancient woodland and wildlife could fall victim to the fires.

Death Toll Mounts in Europe as Wildfires and Heatwaves Inflict Havoc

THE GUARDIAN: Parts of France record highest-ever temperatures of plus-40C as wildfires ravage parts of continent

A firefighter battles a wildfire near La Teste-de-Buch, Gironde, in south-west France.Photograph: Clement Viala/infobassin.com/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock
Several towns and cities in France have recorded their highest-ever temperatures as nearly 2,000 firefighters continued to battle huge blazes in the south-west and a searing heatwave gripping much of western Europe moved north and east.

Nantes, near the Atlantic coast, recorded 42C on Monday, beating a previous high of 40.3C set in 1949, while Brest, in Brittany, hit 39.9C, more than four degrees higher than its 2002 record of 35.1C.

Night-time temperature records were also set, including at La Hague in Normandy where 32.8C was recorded at 3am on Tuesday. Officials said France’s entire west coast, from Landes in the south to Finistère in the north, was affected.

Records were expected to be smashed again on Tuesday, meteorologists said, as the mass of hot air, the second to engulf large parts of the continent in recent weeks, moved north and east into eastern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Britain was also set to record its highest ever temperature.

The Dutch KNMI weather service said temperatures could top 38C on Tuesday, issuing a code orange extreme weather warning of risk to life in the centre and south of the country, while officials in Belgium warned of 40C-plus temperatures. » | Jon Henley Europe correspondent | Tuesday, July 19, 2022

UK records its highest-ever temperature, as heatwave batters Europe: Heat measured at 39.1 degrees Celsius; at least five people drown while trying to cool off; wildfires continue to spread in France »

Europe Heatwave: Deadly Wildfires Spread in Mediterranean

Baiao, Portugal: The fires in the north are Portugal's worst since 2017 | EPA
BBC: Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires in Portugal, Spain and southwestern France, in the grip of a heatwave that shows no sign of easing.

In northern Portugal, a pilot died when his waterbombing plane crashed in the Foz Coa area, near the Spanish border.

Fires are ravaging areas of France's Gironde region, where more than 12,000 people have been evacuated.

In southern Spain, near the Costa del Sol, about 2,300 people had to flee a wildfire spreading in the Mijas hills.

Holidaymakers on the beach in Torremolinos saw big plumes of smoke rising in the hills, where several aircraft were tackling the blaze. » | Laurence Peter, BBC News | Saturday, July 16, 2022

NZZ LIVE BLOG: Hitzewelle: Grossbritannien bereitet sich auf Rekordtemperaturen vor +++ Hunderte von Hitzetoten in Spanien und Portugal: Hitzewellen in der Schweiz und Deutschland, Dürre in Norditalien und Waldbrände in Südeuropa: Der Sommer 2022 geizt nicht mit Extremen. »

Europe Heatwave Fuels Wildfires in Portugal, France and Spain - BBC News

Jul 14, 2022 A heatwave is fuelling wildfires in Portugal, France and Spain.

Around 3,500 firefighters in Portugal are battling dozens of blazes, as temperatures break records in various parts of the country.

Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting because of climate change.

Wildfires Rage Close to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site

Jul 1, 2022 A forest fire that has been burning since Tuesday engulfed more than 20 hectares (49 acres) of grassland and the remains of the Peruvian Llamacancha archaeological site inside Machu Picchu's sanctuary. Footage showed forest brigades fighting the fire which, according to officials, has been difficult to control because of strong winds and the inaccessibility of the area Peru wildfire threatens Machu Picchu as remote location hampers efforts to control blaze

Peru wildfire threatens Machu Picchu as remote location hampers efforts to control blaze: Twenty hectares near Inca ruins affected in blaze started by farmers burning grass before sowing crops »

Large Wildfire Damages Homes Near Athens, Evokes Memories of Last Year's Devastation | DW News

Jun 5, 2022 • Wildfires near Greece's capital Athens have forced people to evacuate their homes. They were apparently sparked by a blaze at a power station, with strong winds then fanning the flames. Authorities expressed concerns this could be a repeat of last summer, when fires devastated more than 125,000 hectares.

Spain Wildfire: Almost 1,000 Emergency Workers Fighting Blaze

THE GUARDIAN: Fire in Andalucía region rages for sixth day having already forced evacuation of thousands of people

Firefighters tackle wildfire near the town of Jubrique in southern Spain. Photograph: Pedro Armestre/AP
Almost 1,000 firefighters and emergency workers are battling one of the most intractable Spanish wildfires in recent years as the blaze rages for a sixth day, after devouring at least 7,400 hectares (18,285 acres) of land in the southern region of Andalucía and forcing the evacuation of more than 2,600 people.

On Sunday, 260 members of Spain’s military emergencies unit were deployed to help tackle the fire, which began last Wednesday in the mountainous Sierra Bermeja above the resort town of Estepona, and which now has a perimeter of 53 miles (85km). Experts hope the rain forecast across much of the country on Monday will help extinguish the blaze.

Investigators say they have evidence that the fire, which claimed the life of a 44-year-old firefighter last Thursday, was started deliberately. Announcing the deployment of the military personnel on Sunday night, the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the government and its partners “will work together and tirelessly in the face of the fire that is devastating the province of Málaga”. » | Sam Jones in Madrid | Monday, September 13, 2021

Wildfires in Greece Spark Criticism of the Government | DW News

Aug 14, 2021 • Greece is looking for strategies to better prepare for wildfires in the future. On the island of Evia, some residents say authorities have been negligent.

Thousands Flee Greek Island as Wildfires Raze Forest and Homes

THE GUARDIAN: Firefighters tackle blazes on two fronts on Evia as heatwave-driven devastation across southern Europe continues

Thousands of people have fled wildfires that are destroying vast swathes of pine forest and razing homes on Greece’s second-largest island, Evia, as devastating summer blazes rage from southern Europe to Siberia.

“We have ahead of us another difficult evening, another difficult night,” Greece’s deputy civil protection minister, Nikos Hardalias, said on Sunday, adding that nearly a week after the blazes started, strong winds were driving two major fire fronts in the north and south of the island.

Seventeen firefighting planes and helicopters were in action on the island, just north-east of the capital, Athens, where fires in a northern suburb and the nearby Peloponnese region were stable, although the risk of rekindling remained high.

Wildfires have devastated large areas in southern Europe for a fortnight as the region endures its most extreme heatwave in three decades. Ten have died in Greece and Turkey, with many admitted to hospital. Italy has also suffered million[s] of euros of damage.

Huge fires also have been burning across Siberia in northern Russia for several weeks, forcing the evacuation on Saturday of a dozen villages. Wildfires have burned nearly 6m hectares (15m acres) of land this year in Russia, while hot, dry and windy conditions have also fuelled devastating blazes in California. » | Jon Henley, Bethan McKernan, and Helena Smith in Athens | Sunday, August 8, 2021

Greece Fires: 150 Houses Destroyed by Wildfires as Monks Refuse to Leave Stricken Island

Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire in the village of Rovies on Evia island as Greece fires continue to rage. Photograph: Costas Baltas/Reuters
THE GUARDIAN: Villages on Evia are evacuated as blaze rages across the island, and fires also threaten suburbs of Athens and historic Olympia

At least 150 houses have been destroyed by a raging fire that surrounded a monastery and a dozen villages on the Greek island of Evia, one of over 100 blazes burning in the country.

Firefighters were also continuing to battle a blaze near Athens on Thursday morning, while the mayor of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, pleaded for help as flames threatened the site.

The blazes erupted as Greece is in the grip of a heatwave.

“We’re waging a battle of the titans!” deputy minister for civil protection Nikos Hardalias told journalists. “The hardest is still to come.”

Experts have warned that global heating is increasing both the frequency and intensity of such fires. » | Agence France-Presse | Thursday, August 5, 2021

Southern Europe Wildfires: A Climate Threat? | DW News

Aug 3, 2021 • 'We are no longer talking about climate change but about a climate threat' — that's the view of Greece's deputy civil protection minister as the southeast region of the Mediterranean is gripped by an extreme heatwave. Dozens of wildfires have broken out in Greece, Italy and Turkey — forcing residents and tourists to evacuate.

DW's correspondents in Turkey, Greece and Italy are on the ground following this story.
On Turkey's southern coast, blazes have killed at least eight people. DW's Julia Hahn reports from Manavgat, one of the areas that has been badly affected by the wildfires in Turkey.

In Greece, temperatures are expected to peak at 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country this week. The prime minister says Greece is experiencing its worst heatwave since 1987. Local authorities are advising households and businesses to conserve electricity especially during afternoon and evening peak times. DW correspondent Florian Schmitz reports from Thessaloniki.

Extreme weather has emergency services on high alert in Italy, too. Heavy rain and floods have hit the north of the country, while wildfires burn in the south. The Italian fire service say they have carried out over 700 operations in the past 24 hours on wildfires burning across the central and southern parts of the country. Jacopo Lentini reports from Palermo.

DW puts the extreme heatwave in southern Europe into perspective with Mojib Latif, a meteorologist at Germany’s Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, and author of best-selling climate change book 'Hot Times.'

Turkey Is Next as Wildfires Afflict Mediterranean Countries

Turkey struggled to contain the dozens of wildfires burning this week, as local residents and tourists along the Mediterranean Coast were forced to evacuate.CreditCredit...Kaan Soyturk/Reuters
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Turkish authorities said they were investigating the causes of fires that killed at least six people and threatened popular tourist destinations.

Firefighters in Turkey struggled to contain dozens of wildfires raging for a fourth day on Saturday, as fast-spreading blazes forced popular holiday resorts and dozens of rural areas along the Mediterranean coast to be evacuated.

The fires, which authorities say may have been sparked by arson or human negligence, have killed at least six people, officials said Saturday, and injured roughly 200 others.

As tourists were forced to flee hotels, some on boats as flames licked closer, local residents in rural areas watched the fires burn their homes, kill their livestock and destroy their businesses.

“Our lungs are burning, our future is burning,” Muhittin Bocek, the mayor of Antalya, a resort city, said in a telephone interview from the ravaged town of Manavgat, about 50 miles east along the coast.

The blazes are part of a broader pattern of wildfires afflicting the Mediterranean this summer, with areas in Lebanon, Syria, Greece, Italy and Cyprus also battling fast-moving fires. » | Elian Peltier and Asmaa al-Omar | Published: Friday, July 30, 2021; Updated: Saturday, July 31, 2021

‘Everything Is On Fire’: Siberia Hit by Unprecedented Burning

THE GUARDIAN: Locals fear for their health and property as smoke from raging forest fires shrouds an entire region of eastern Russia

Every morning and evening for the last few days, shifts of young villagers have headed out into the taiga forest around Teryut with a seemingly impossible task: to quell the raging fires that have burned closer and closer for a month, shrouding this remote eastern Siberian village in an acrid haze.

So far, little has worked. Amid the worst wildfire season in memory, locals have vowed to defend their village to the last, sending away small children for their protection from the smog while they stay on to fight back the flames.

“For a month already you can’t see anything through the smoke,” said Varvara, a 63-year-old pensioner from Teryut, a village in the Oymyakonsky district. “We have already sent the small children away. And the fires are very close, just 2km [1.2 miles] from our village.” » | Andrew Roth in Moscow | Tuesday, July 20, 2021

California Is Burning Down and Trump Blames It on Environmental Laws

The state of California is suffering from major wildfires at the moment that have caused multiple deaths, but rather than trying to fix the crisis, Trump is out there tweeting that the reason the fires are getting so out of control is because environmental laws aren’t letting them get enough water to spray on them. Not only is this false, but it shows that he has no concept of crisis management. Sadly, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins points out, that wasn’t the worst thing Trump said about the fires.

Portugal's Biggest Wildfire: 'We All Thought We Were Going to Die'

On 17 June, a fire swept through the forests of central Portugal, killing 64 people and destroying more than 480 houses. After a summer of record numbers of wildfires across southern Europe, the Guardian travelled to devastated villages in Portugal to find out why the June fire was so deadly, and what can be done to prevent it happening again