Southern Europe is on fire: thousands have to flee - forest fires claim several lives
Created: 07/19/2022, 09:01
By: Markus Hofstetter
Heat and drought are troubling southern Europe.
You can read where forest fires are raging and what the consequences are in our news ticker.
Forest fires
in
France
: 16,000 people have to flee.
Spain
and
Portugal
: Wildfires continue despite falling temperatures.
Heat
in
Croatia
: Authorities restrict water consumption on the Istrian peninsula.
This
news ticker
on the risk of forest fires in Europe is continuously updated.
Update from July 19, 6:33 a.m .:
In the course of investigating the cause of a forest fire in the western French department of Gironde, which has already destroyed 12,000 hectares of forest, a suspect has been arrested.
The suspicion of arson has been confirmed in the municipality of Landiras, the Bordeaux public prosecutor said.
The investigation would continue with further forensic investigations and the questioning of witnesses.
As early as Friday (July 15), the public prosecutor's office said that the fire in Landiras, south of Bordeaux, was suspected of being arson.
A witness had seen a car quickly leaving the scene of the fire the previous Tuesday (July 12).
According to prosecutors, there were other fires in the area that same day, as well as three more outbreaks in the following days.
Prosecutor Frédérique Porterie said it still had to be checked whether all the incidents involved the same perpetrator.
Forest fires in Spain: firefighter dies, body of a shepherd also discovered
Update from July 18, 5:40 p.m
.: Critical situation due to forest fires in France: According to meteorologists, Monday could be one of the hottest days in the country's history.
Heat and wind also fueled the forest fires that had been raging for days.
Of particular concern was a region south of Bordeaux on the Bassin d'Arcachon, where 15,000 hectares of forest have already burned down.
On Monday, another 8,000 people had to be brought to safety here.
And there are fatalities from the forest fires: In northwestern Spain, not only a firefighter died fighting a forest fire that broke out in the municipality of Losacio on Sunday evening.
The body of a shepherd was later discovered in the burned area.
Forest fire in Italy: 62-year-old suspected arsonist arrested in Rome
Update from July 18, 3:03 p.m
.: After a forest fire in Rome, a 62-year-old man was arrested for arson.
"Anyone who commits such serious criminal acts must know that they will not go unpunished," wrote Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.
On Sunday, flames had blazed in a green area in the west of the city.
There was a strong smell of smoke over the center afterwards.
The fire caused a stir because large fires had recently broken out in forests and parks in Rome.
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In Italy, a fire also broke out near the popular seaside resort of Bibione on Monday.
The area has recently been hit by severe fires.
Mayor Flavio Maurutto tried on Monday to reassure holidaymakers who want to travel to the village soon.
"The area affected by the fire is far from hotels, holiday apartments and campsites, so that not a single building was damaged." According to the information, about ten hectares of pine forest burned.
Spain and Portugal: Forest fires continue to rage despite falling temperatures
Update from July 18, 2:00 p.m .:
Despite falling temperatures, it is still burning in many places in Spain and Portugal.
In Spain, 22 fires were still active on Monday, according to civil defense.
The regions of Extremadura in the west, Galicia in the north-west, Castile and León in the center and Catalonia in the north-east of the country were particularly affected.
A second person died near the town of Escober de Tábara in the province of Zamora.
A 69-year-old shepherd was found dead, local authorities said on Monday.
In the neighboring municipality of Losacio, a firefighter had died trying to extinguish the flames.
The fire in Pont de Vilomara, only about 50 kilometers north of the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona, is a cause of great concern on Monday.
There, the flames that broke out on Sunday destroyed 1,700 hectares of forest after less than 24 hours.
The fire also affected numerous houses.
High temperatures in southern Europe: Man dies of heat stroke
Update from July 18, 10:32 a.m .:
The heat with its numerous forest fires in southern Europe continues to claim human lives.
A firefighter died in a forest fire near Losacio in north-west Spain.
A man has died of heat stroke on a street near Madrid.
According to the rescue service, the 50-year-old was walking down the street in Torrejón de Ardoz on Sunday when he collapsed.
Paramedics could no longer help him, his body temperature had risen to 40 degrees.
A doctor explains here what you should pay attention to at these temperatures.
Forest fires in France: 16,000 people have to flee
First report
: Munich - Germany has so far been spared the sweltering heat that has settled in southern Europe.
But now the Federal Republic has to adjust to it.
It is expected to remain hot in large parts of southern Europe, with the corresponding consequences.
France has called on citizens to be extra cautious given the expected rise in temperature.
The weather service Météo France imposed the highest red warning level for almost the entire French Atlantic coast and other western areas until Monday afternoon. Temperature records are almost certainly to be broken here.
Facing the persistent dry heat and fierce winds, firefighters continue their fight south of Bordeaux to battle two major wildfires.
The situation worsened on Sunday afternoon.
The fire at Teste-de-Buch reached the sea and blazed south from there.
Changing winds caused the forest fire at Landiras to grow.
So far, almost 13,000 hectares of land in the area have been burned.
More than 16,000 people had to leave their homes for safety.
Forest fires in Italy: Sicily and Sardinia raise warning levels
In addition to forest fires that flare up again and again, Italy is suffering from the lack of rain.
This can also be seen on Lake Garda.
The farmers' association Coldiretti warned on Sunday of crop losses of up to 70 percent in some areas.
In Sicily and Sardinia, the authorities again raised the forest fire warning levels in some parts of the islands.
In Sicily, the highest level three already applies locally.
Forest fires in Spain and Portugal: Falling temperatures should bring relaxation
About 30 forest fires were still active in Spain on Sunday evening.
The fires have destroyed tens of thousands of hectares in the past few days, as reported by the state television broadcaster RTVE, citing the various regional authorities.
In Portugal, around a thousand emergency services were fighting 16 active forest fires on Sunday evening.
According to the nature conservation agency ICNF, the flames in Portugal destroyed around 30,000 hectares of forest in around a week.
In both countries, meanwhile, the announced falling temperatures give reason for hope.
In Portugal, the government therefore did not want to extend the third-highest state of emergency, which expired on Monday, after a week.
In Spain, the heat wave will end between Monday and Tuesday, the national weather service Aemet said.
Risk of forest fires in Greece: Risk rated as "very high".
The Greek fire brigade continues to assess the risk of forest fires in many parts of the country as "very high".
On Monday, the Attica region with the capital Athens as well as the islands of Euboea, Crete, Lesbos and Samos and the north-east of the Peloponnese peninsula were particularly affected.
Above all, the sometimes strong winds that blow in the Aegean Sea cause difficulties.
They can quickly reignite and fuel a nearly smothered fire.
Heat in Croatia: Authorities restrict water consumption on the Istrian peninsula
Restrictions on water consumption came into force on Monday on the Croatian peninsula of Istria, which is popular with holidaymakers.
Drinkable tap water may no longer be used for washing vehicles, cleaning streets, watering green spaces or showering on beaches and in swimming pools.
The only exception is the cleaning of markets and fish markets.
The provincial government of Istria justified the measure with the persistent drought and with meteorological forecasts, according to which no precipitation is to be expected in the foreseeable future.