we’ve been moaning for days scorching heat, which eats its way through Europe. On their path of destruction, neither people, nor homes, nor forests are safe from the flames, which push even firefighters to their limits.
Because: Due to continuous drought, the fire is spreading rapidly and the winds are blowing. “The situation in Europe and Germany is also very tense and will remain so as long as it remains so dry,” says Tobias Thiele (46), public relations chief of the German Fire Brigade Union.
Thiel further: “ It has completely captured Southern and Western Europe, Fire has broken out in some areas where many people go on leave.”
There are embers, mostly caused by humans. The second, says Thiele, is the situation in which fire engines are currently in Germany. “Due to the high incidence, a lot of employees are absent. The emergency services that are working are at the border. ,
A satellite photo shows the extent of the fire in south-west France
Tragic: According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Heat waves currently affecting large parts of Europe will be normal in future summer months, “Episodes like these are becoming more frequent and the negative trend will continue until at least 2060, regardless of the success of our climate protection efforts,” said WMO Secretary-General Petrie Talas.
Fire brigade expert Thiele: “Coniferous forests burn faster than forests with mixed plantations and winds also play a major role. In addition, fire creates its own winds. The spark can be carried further by these air currents. We have to get used to the drought gradually. This is extremely dangerous and can even cause forest fires in winter. The most important factor, as it is the most unpredictable, is man himself.”
Tobias Thiel (46), public relations chief of the German Fire Brigade Union
400 hectares burnt in Tuscany
I On Tuesday, firefighters evacuated about 500 people in Tuscany. Reason: A huge forest fire threatened to destroy the homes of the Italians. Lukka from your homes. Tuscany’s regional president, Eugenio Gianni, spoke of about 400 hectares of affected area.
“The fire is spreading fast. As big as fire, the faster it gets. This is unlikely in Germany, but fires can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h. The wildfires in California are a very good example of this,” explains Thiele, a fire department spokesman.
Firefighting from above: Four firefighting planes and a helicopter help put out the fire in Tuscany
Smoke has spread to the surrounding provinces of Tuscany. Since Monday, five helicopters, four firefighters and about 100 firefighters are dousing the blaze.
In Italy, firefighters are fighting a fire in forests and bushes across the country. On the holiday islands of Sicily and Sardinia, wildfire warning levels are raised, sometimes at the highest.
Europe on fire: an interactive NASA map shows the source of the fires in Italy, Portugal and Greece, among other locations
In Athens, firefighters keep fighting small and big fires
40.3 degrees – the heat record in England
Even in an otherwise “undercooled” England The situation is dramatic. The fire department in London had to deal with a huge fire and even declared a major disaster. In Coningsby, in the eastern English county of Lincolnshire, the afternoon measured 40.3 degrees, according to preliminary data from the Met Office – a British record. Earlier this week it was 38.7 degrees, measured in Cambridge in 2019.
About 19,300 hectares of land burned in the south of Bordeaux
A fierce fire has been raging and spreading for several days on the French Atlantic coast. On the southern French Atlantic coast, wildfires forced thousands of people to leave their homes as a precaution.
About 8,000 people were affected near Teste-de-Buch, and 3,500 were initially evacuated near Landiras. Earlier in the day, more than 16,000 people were evacuated from the danger zone due to the massive fire in the area.
Within a week they burned 19,300 hectares of land south of Bordeaux.
Fire in the Iberian Peninsula
According to the nature conservation authority ICNF, fires in Portugal have destroyed about 60,000 hectares in just six and a half months. In Spain According to official estimates, about 25,000 hectares of forest and dozens of homes, shops and factories have burned in the past ten days – an area larger than Düsseldorf.
Resignation from flames: a firefighter cries near a fire near Losacio in northwestern Spain
Sad scene: In Spain, about 25 thousand hectares of land are victims of flames
Are we ready for a new wave of fire in Germany?
There are probably no Germans on foreign fire missions yet. Because the situation at our own door is also becoming more and more precarious: “Cases such as the wildfires in Saxon Switzerland show that there is a great need at our own doorstep,” says fire specialist Tobias Thiele.
“We in Germany urgently need a rethink: here firefighters must know and practice critical tactics for wildfires. Gone are the days when these fires were the exception. For too long the focus has been only on internal fires. I equipment Here’s what I see with: hoses, vehicles, and even protective clothing are not designed to fight wildfires of this size.”
Thiele appealed: “There is an urgent need for firefighting aircraft. The federal government must slowly come to terms with the idea that a similar concept is needed in Europe. The Bundeswehr Fire Brigade can also be better used for this type of emergency. ,
“The situation in Europe and Germany is alarming. Weather scenarios like the present are still driving the whole thing. We firefighters are naturally stressed in these situations. To control the danger as much as possible, the public should also be alert and call the fire brigade if there is any sign of a fire.
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