Wildfires
S


Fire

Dozens injured in Portugal wildfires as heatwave set to intensify


The Guardian
Mon, 11 Jul 2022 17:38 UTC
wildfires portugal
© Mário Cruz/EPAPeople throw water and spray hoses on flames near their homes in Canecas, on the outskirts of Lisbon, July 9, 2022
More than 3,000 firefighters battle blazes as EU offers emergency help and temperatures could hit 43C

Wildfires in Portugal have left 29 people injured as thousands of firefighters and dozens of aircraft battle the blazes.

Authorities said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical treatment for minor injuries, as reported by the Portuguese state broadcaster RTP and local media.

By Sunday afternoon, Portugal's civil protection agency said more than 3,000 firefighters were tackling active blazes.

The country is enduring a heatwave that is due to worsen, with temperatures expected to reach up to 43C (109F) on Tuesday.

Read More...
Fire

Major wildfire erupts in southeast France


RT
Fri, 08 Jul 2022 16:42 UTC
france wildfire plane
© AFP / Sylvain ThomasA firefighting plane douses wildfire near Besseges, southern France, on July 8, 2022.
Some 900 firefighters backed by water-dropping aircraft have been deployed to battle the blaze.

A massive wildfire erupted in France's southeastern region of Gard overnight. As of Friday, the fire had ripped through over 600 hectares (more than 1,500 acres) of land, according to French emergency services.

Some 13 firefighters were injured in the village of Bordezac, where the fire started. All in all, more than 900 first responders backed by at least two water-dropping planes were deployed to battle the blaze, described as a "mega-fire" by emergency services. The fire is expected to be quenched completely within "several days," according to local authorities.

Comment: See also: Drought threatens France's crops, Italy receives only half of usual rainfall

Read More...
Fire

Baked Alaska: 225 wildfires sparked by state's 35,000 lightning bolts since end of June have scorched over 2.4 million acres

Stacy Liberatore
Daily Mail
Thu, 07 Jul 2022 13:26 UTC
Drought, extreme temperatures and thousands of lightning bolts each day have created the perfect storm for wildfires Alaska's interior. Pictured is a wildfire that has burned 780,000 acres near Lime Village, Alaska
Drought, extreme temperatures and thousands of lightning bolts each day have created the perfect storm for wildfires Alaska's interior. Pictured is a wildfire that has burned 780,000 acres near Lime Village, Alaska
Drought, extreme temperatures and thousands of lightning bolts each day led to the ignition of wildfires across Alaska's interior.

More than 2.4 million acres have burned this year by wildfires, which is double the acreage that is typically scorched at this point in the state's wildfire season.

The Alaska wildfire season typically begins in late May and ends in late July, and the National Park Services states that, on average, one million acres burn statewide each year.

The blazes are being ignited by lightning strikes plaguing the state - nearly 25,000 bolts were detected between June 28 and July 4 and more than 10,000 have hit since then.

Read More...
Fire

Heat, drought and wildfires: Torrid spell torments Portugal

Barry Hatton
AP News
Thu, 07 Jul 2022 07:42 UTC
Lisbon protestor
© AP Photo/Armando FrancaA protestor shades herself from the sun behind her poster in hot weather during a demonstration by workers' unions outside the parliament in Lisbon, Thursday, July 7, 2022.
Portugal is bracing for a heat wave, with temperatures in some areas forecast to climb as high as 43 C (109 F) this weekend just as a severe drought grips the country.

The Civil Protection Agency, a Portuguese government body that coordinates official responses to emergencies, said Thursday it is placing crews on high alert because of the risk of wildfires. About a third of the country faces an extreme risk of forest fires, authorities say.

The high temperatures are forecast to last at least a week. The national weather service IPMA says what it calls "tropical nights," when temperatures stay above 20 C (68 F) after sunset, are likely.

The government said it will place the country on a formal state of alert against wildfires from Friday. That step grants authorities special powers, such as outlawing stubble burning and fireworks at summer festivals, and allows it to requisition equipment such as bulldozers for clearing fire breaks.
Read More...
Fire

Lightning storms spark dozens of wildfires in Yukon, Canada - proportion of fires caused by strikes "stupendously high"

Amy Smart
Terrace Standard
Tue, 05 Jul 2022 17:54 UTC
On Monday alone, there were more than 3,000 lightning strikes in Yukon
On Monday alone, there were more than 3,000 lightning strikes in Yukon
Wildfires are breaking out across Yukon as lightning pummels the territory and a heat wave wears on, a fire information officer says.

Mike Fancie of Yukon Wildland Fire Management says about 20 fires a day have been sparked beginning on the long weekend, bringing the total this year to 155 wildfires that have burned 45,000 hectares.

Fancie described the proportion of fires caused by lightning as "stupendously high" at 97 per cent, compared with about 70 per cent in a typical year with the remainder being caused by humans.

On Monday alone, there were more than 3,000 lightning strikes, 484 of which were positive strikes that carry with them increased fire danger, he said.

Read More...
Fire

1,200 firefighters battling California wildfire


USA Today
Wed, 06 Jul 2022 17:41 UTC
Rafael Soto battles the Electra fire burning in the Rich Gulch community of Calaveras County, California, on Tuesday.
© Noah Berger/APRafael Soto battles the Electra fire burning in the Rich Gulch community of Calaveras County, California, on Tuesday.
Evacuation orders have been expanded for remote communities near a wildfire that's chewing through California forests.

The Sierra Nevada Gold Country fire tripled in size to more than 4.7 square miles Tuesday.

Source: AP

Read More...
Fire

52 wildfires break out in 24 hours across Greece


Euronews
Wed, 06 Jul 2022 17:31 UTC
The resort town of Itea, central Greece, has been encircled by the wildfire.
© Forecast Weather GreeceThe resort town of Itea, central Greece, has been encircled by the wildfire.
An easing of winds overnight helped the Fire Service contain several blazes in different parts of Greece.

According to the Fire Service, 52 wildfires broke out on Monday, stoked by strong winds and high temperatures.

A wildfire burning uncontrollably on Monday evening across three fronts near the town of Amfissa, in the municipality of Delphi, central Greece, was partly brought under control on Tuesday, the Fire Service said.

Firefighters and volunteers battled with the flames through the night, taking advantage of the improved weather conditions.

Read More...
Fire

Wildfire in southwest Turkey rages on


Euronews
Fri, 24 Jun 2022 11:54 UTC
Big Wildfire Forces Evacuations Near Turkish Marmaris Resort
Big wildfire forces evacuations near Turkish Marmaris resort
Firefighters battled a wildfire in southwestern Turkey from land and air on Thursday as high temperatures and winds fanned the blaze and dashed hopes it was contained, while authorities said they had detained a person in connection with the fire.

Scenes of burning woodland near the Aegean coastal resort of Marmaris sparked fears of a repeat of last year's fires that devastated tens of thousands of hectares (acres) across the region.

Reuters footage showed smoke billowing from hills and police water cannon vehicles helping firefighters as the blaze spread through the woodlands in the sparsely populated area.

Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Multiple fires ignited in California following tens of thousands of lightning strikes

Bill Gabbert
Wildfire Today
Thu, 23 Jun 2022 17:20 UTC
Lightning, during the 24 hours ending at 6:15 a.m. PDT June 23, 2022.
© LightningMaps.orgLightning, during the 24 hours ending at 6:15 a.m. PDT June 23, 2022.
As monsoonal moisture moved through Southern California Wednesday more than 50,000 lightning strikes were detected, starting wildfires and killing a woman and her two dogs who were walking in Pico Rivera.

Chris Vagasky, @COweatherman, tweeted that a total of 54,329 strikes were recorded across California on Wednesday UTC time.

Multiple fires suspected of being started by lightning occurred in Southern California, with most of them being suppressed while very small. The cause of the Thunder Fire east of Interstate 5 near the Grapevine north of Frazier Park is under investigation, but the suspected cause is lightning, said Captain Andrew Freeborn of the Kern County Fire Department. At 6:45 a.m. Thursday the Department reported it had burned approximately 2,300 acres and was being staffed by 250 personnel.


Comment: Woman, 2 dogs die after being struck by lightning near Los Angeles

Read More...
Fire

Evacuations as forest fires hit across Spain

Chave Weather
YouTube
Thu, 16 Jun 2022 19:42 UTC
A firefighter holds a hose to put out the forest fire near the NA-132 road in Tafalla.
© Eduardo Sanz/dpaA firefighter holds a hose to put out the forest fire near the NA-132 road in Tafalla.
A series of forest fires have been seen across Spain on 15th and 16th June 2022.

Citizens were evacuated as fires spread quickly through rural areas.

Fire services worked to contain the blazes, with helicopters used over forests.

Among the areas affected are Valderrobres in Aragon, Sierra de Huelva and areas of Navarre and Catalonia.

The fires follow a period of dry weather across the country, with some being caused by lightning strikes.

Read More...