Firefighters are fighting wildfires throughout southern Europe as extreme heat capture the region with record-breaking temperatures.
In France, around 1,400 firefighters were deployed in France’s Southern Aude region on Saturday to prevent the country’s largest wildfire in decades as all residents were allowed back home.
Aude Phect Christian Pouget said the fire has been contained since Thursday after burning more than 160 square kilometres this week in the wooded area known for its winery.
All roads have been reopened, but authorities have strictly banned access to forests, Pouget said at a press conference on Saturday.
“The fight continues and firefighters are still working on a (fire) re-expression,” he said.
One person has been killed and 25 people have been injured, including 19 firefighters, Pouget said.
High temperatures over the next few days are expected to complicate the efforts of firefighters.
“The fire will not go away for several weeks,” Colonel Christophe Magny, director of the Aude Firefighters division, said it refers to several “hot spots” that are closely monitored.
Meteor France, the National Meteorological Agency of France, has put the southern half of France under a “high vigilance” warning of heat waves, with temperatures expected in the Aude region up to 39°C on Saturday.
Fires continue in Spain and Greece
Firefighters also continued to fight active wildfires in Avila, in western central Spain on Saturday.
The fire began on Friday afternoon, and the Spanish Army Emergency Unit (UME) made efforts at night to put it under control and prevent it from approaching roads and trains.
The risk of fire is very high as temperatures reach near 39°C in Spain and parts of Portugal.
According to AEMET of the Spanish National Weather Service, the current period of extreme temperatures is expected to last until at least next Wednesday.
In Greece, a major wildfire that erupted on Friday afternoon in Keratea, about 40 kilometres southeast of Athens, continued to infuriate eastern and south Attica in the middle of the night, causing great damage to the home and claiming one life.
Authorities issued evacuation orders as flames approached the residential area while firefighters fought strong winds.
At least 260 firefighters, supported by 77 vehicles, were working to contain the flames.
Turkey’s wildfires are under control
According to Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakuri, wildfires in the central district of Kanakkale and the Bailamic region of western Turkey have been largely under control.
Yumakli said the fire team worked all night to stop the flames from advancing. He confirmed that the spread of the fire had stopped and cooling efforts were underway.
The fire that broke out near Igitler village on Friday and spread through forest areas under strong winds urged preventive evacuations in the villages of Sakakuri, Ahmemeseli, Doganka, Zeytinri and Pitireli.
A total of 654 residents have moved to the safe zone. Authorities reported four suspects being detained as part of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire.
New normal
Southern Europe has seen several major fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change has made the region even more vulnerable to wildfires, exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and aridity.
This week, the United Nations World Weather Organization (WMO) released a report detailing the effects of extreme heat around the world.
The report shows that extreme temperatures caused about 489,000 heat-related deaths per year between 2000 and 2019, resulting in 36% of Europe.
In this record-breaking July, Turkey said it had hit an extreme new national high of 50.5°C. Sweden and Finland experienced unusually long spells with temperatures above 30°C.
In line with the 2015 Paris Agreement, WMO warns that countries need to act faster to adapt to climate change and limit global warming.
“Extreme heat is sometimes called silent killers, but with today’s science, data and technology, silence is no longer an excuse. All deaths from extreme heat are preventable.”
The organization estimates that expanding its thermal medical warning system in just 57 countries could save nearly 100,000 lives a year.
“This is not just a climate issue, it’s a public health emergency,” said Joy Shumake-Guillemot, lead of the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Co-Program and co-lead of the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN).