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After the heatwaves, fires multiply in Mediterranean Europe
France, Spain, Portugal and Greece are fighting wildfires, some of which are still out of control.
As Europe experiences its third heatwave even though summer has only just begun, the feared consequence has arrived once again: wildfires. Vegetation left exceptionally dry by the lack of rainfall, combined with record-breaking temperatures across many regions, has created the perfect fuel for fires. These are all direct consequences of the ongoing climate crisis.
France: wildfires in the Eastern Pyrenees consume 5,000 hectares of forest
Some of the countries bordering the Mediterranean have been hardest hit, including Portugal, Spain, Greece and France. France is currently facing the most severe situation. In the Eastern Pyrenees, on the Mont Canigou massif, flames have consumed nearly 5,000 hectares of forest. Around 10,000 people have been evacuated, while an extensive emergency response has been deployed. As of Monday, 700 firefighters, 200 ground vehicles, and around ten aircraft and helicopters were still battling to contain the blaze.
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French media have described it as a “gigantic wildfire”, fuelled by the heat—with temperatures once again reaching 40°C—strong winds and exceptionally low humidity. According to the local prefecture, one resident and one firefighter were seriously injured and remain in critical condition.
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Spain’s Costa Brava burns, while Portugal loses 13,000 hectares
On the other side of the Pyrenees, a wildfire broke out on the Costa Brava, burning 2,200 hectares of vegetation before being brought under control on Sunday, according to local firefighters.Residents from around ten municipalities near La Bisbal d’Empordà, close to Girona, were evacuated as a precaution.
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In terms of the area burned, however, the largest wildfire is the one affecting the surroundings of Vouzela, in Portugal’s Viseu district. There, the fire spread across at least 13,000 hectares. After several days of firefighting, authorities announced on Monday that around 80 per cent of the blaze had been brought under control. At least nine people have been injured, including two civilians. Smoke from the fire drifted thousands of kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Greece records 60 fire outbreaks in just 24 hours
In Greece, firefighters battled wildfires that broke out near Thessaloniki. The forest fire has now been contained, but it also affected two large factories, where firefighters were still working on Monday. Overall, 60 separate fire outbreaks were recorded across Greece within just 24 hours.
There are growing fears that this summer’s wildfire season could prove even worse than last year’s, when fires burned a record 1,034,550 hectares across Europe.
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