Europe wildfires: Blazes continue in Portugal, France, Spain
July 16, 2022
A pilot died while battling a blaze in Portugal, as hundreds more were evacuated from Spain and France on Friday.
A scorching heatwave has set blazes across European towns, with officials issuing heatwave warnings in the coming days.
Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa tweeted about the death of the pilot, saying he was sad to learn about it and sent his "deepest condolences to family and friends."
The pilot died Friday after his water-bombing aircraft crashed while battling a blaze in a northern Portuguese town, authorities said.
Even though medical services rushed to the site of the crash around 8 p.m local time (700 p.m. UTC), he was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
Portugal battles at least 17 blazes, one dead
In Portugal, five districts were on red alert as of Friday and more than 1,000 firefighters were battling at least 17 blazes, authorities said.
While temperatures dipped slightly on Friday, they're still expected to top 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in some places in the coming days, authorities said.
As of late Thursday, the fires had killed one person and injured around 60.
Blazes in France, Spain
Wildfires continued to blaze in southwestern France as well, forcing hundreds to evacuate, authorities said Friday.
More than 1,000 firefighters, supported by nine water-bombing aircraft, have been battling two big fires since Tuesday.
The blazes have burnt 7,300 hectares by now, with 2,000 hectares burned overnight, authorities said Thursday.
A wildfire that broke out near the southeastern town of Tarascon on Thursday and burnt at least 1,000 hectares have been brought under control, firefighters said.
The fires since Tuesday have forced the evacuation of nearly 10,000 people in France, many of them holidaymakers.
In Spain, temperatures have soared, with some places recording 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) as early as 7:00 a.m. Thursday.
Authorities said at least 20 fires were raging still, with a fire near Mijas, a town on the southeastern coast of Spain, forcing the evacuation of some 2,300 people.
A fire also broke out on Thursday near the Monfrague National Park, a protected area famous for its wildlife.
The mercury breached 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) in Spain on Thursday, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeting he was closely following the active fires and the risk they posed.
Climate change to blame
Scientists have repeatedly called attention to the rapid pace of climate change as being the reason for intense and frequent wildfires in Europe and the world.
The World Meteorological Organization on Friday warned that heatwaves could worsen air quality, especially in towns and cities.
An officer from WMO said at a press conference Friday that the "stagnant atmosphere acts as a lid to trap atmospheric pollutants" and that they resulted in "a degradation of air quality and adverse health effects, particularly for vulnerable people."
rm/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP)