Wildfires spread as heatwave grips Mediterranean
Thousands of firefighters are continuing to battle wildfires in Portugal, Spain and France, as a heatwave 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.
The Portuguese authorities say at least 238 people have died from the heat over the past week.
Fires are ravaging areas of France’s south-western Gironde region, where over 12,000 people have been evacuated.
Heatwaves
Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to carbon emissions.
The French weather service has forecast temperatures of up to 41 degrees in parts of the country’s south on Sunday and new heat records are predicted for Monday.
Late on Saturday, the country placed 22 more regional departments mostly along its Atlantic coast on high orange alert.
One resident in southwest France described the forest fires as feeling “post-apocalyptic” – “I’ve never seen this before,” Karyn, who lives near Teste-de-Buch, told the news agency AFP.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said fires had so far burned 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of land and praised firefighters’ “remarkable courage”.
Christophe Nader and his son-in-law are now at a shelter near Teste-de-Buch, having been forced to abandon their house in the village of Cazaux with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing.
He said he was hoping to get back there to rescue their cat. Hundreds of others from the danger zone are also at the temporary shelter, which has provided beds.
Portugal
Since Tuesday, temperatures have soared to 47C in Portugal and above 40C in Spain, leaving the countryside bone dry and fuelling the fires.
Portuguese weather forecasters say temperatures will continue hovering above 40C before dropping next week.
The Portuguese pilot who died was flying solo in a Fire Boss amphibious plane.
Also Read: Portugal deploys 3,000 firefighters to battle wildfires
Portugal’s fire hotspots are in the northeast of the city of Porto. Fires have destroyed 30,000 hectares (75,000 acres) of land this year – the largest area since the summer of 2017 when Portugal suffered devastating fires in which some 100 people died.
Spain
Gemma Suarez, a Spanish farmer evacuated from Casas de Miravete, sobbed as she told Reuters news agency: “What a night. We haven’t slept all night.
“A social worker came to see me to go pick up my elderly uncle. We spent the night in Navalmoral but we didn’t sleep at all. I have never seen such a big fire.”
In southern Spain, holidaymakers on the beach in Torremolinos saw big plumes of smoke rising in the hills, where several aircraft were tackling the blaze.
Ashley Baker, a Briton who lives in Mijas, said the fire appeared more threatening on Friday, but since then the wind had blown it away from his area.
Planes have been dropping fire retardant substances, as helicopters shuttle to and from the coast, collecting seawater to douse the flames.
“There are about 40 houses in our area, everyone was really nervous and standing outside or on balconies watching it,” Mr. Baker said.
Italy
Other parts of the Mediterranean are affected too. In Italy, the government has declared a state of emergency in the desiccated Po Valley – the country’s longest river is no more than a trickle in some places.
Greece
In Greece, firefighters are tackling blazes in the Feriza area, about 50km (31 miles) south-east of Athens, and near Rethymno, on the north coast of Crete. Seven villages have been evacuated near Rethymno.
Morocco
In northern Morocco, several villages had to be evacuated as fires swept through the Larache, Ouezzane, Taza and Tetouan provinces. One village was totally destroyed in the Ksar El Kebir area and at least one person died in a blaze.
Zainab Sa’id
