Fires in Europe and Canada: The Desperate Fight Against Fire

Flames continue to burn in many parts of Europe and Canada: in Tenerife, about six percent of the island has so far burned. Greece receives international aid. In Canada, the military supports The situation at a glance.

Massive wildfires wreak havoc and endanger residents around the world. In Europe, Tenerife and Greece are particularly affected. In Canada, emergency services continue to battle more than 1,000 fires. Overview of the situation.

Greece: Aid from Cyprus and Romania

In Greece, the fight against several large forest and bush fires continues. “Wind is our biggest enemy,” said a fire department spokesman. Again and again, new fires flare up and make extinguishing work significantly more difficult.

And there is no clarity on Tuesday either. Due to continued drought and stormy winds, civil defense has warned that wildfire risk is very high to very high across much of the country. Given the multiple sources of the fire, international help is now arriving: Cyprus sent two firefighting planes, Romania sent ten fire trucks with 56 firefighters, who were due to arrive in the evening.

Meanwhile, Greece reports more fires. A fire broke out overnight in Boeotia, west of Athens. Two towns and the coastal resort of Paralia Saranti were evacuated in the morning. An 80-year-old man died. The shepherd tried to save his animals from the flames and suffered smoke inhalation, the fire brigade confirmed to state broadcaster ERT.

Another fire broke out on Euboea, the country’s second largest island. The fire brigade said the towns of Psachna and Nea Artaki were affected there. Outskirts of villages located in the direction of the fire were evacuated as a precautionary measure. In addition, a new fire ignited in the extreme northeast of the country near the border river Evros. There it burns in Thadiya National Park.

A fire has also broken out near the port city of Kavala in northern Greece since midday. Four firefighters were injured during their operations and were taken to hospital for treatment.

According to the Greek Civil Defense, the highest fire risk applies to the Attica region, where the capital Athens is located, and neighboring areas.

As the affected areas had not received rain for months, the plants withered. If plants and trees catch fire, the wind pushes the flames forward so quickly that the fire brigade has no chance.

The fire near the northeastern Greek port city of Alexandroupolis is now largely under control. However, they are still dangerous, the state broadcaster said. As a precaution, twelve villages and settlements were evacuated over the weekend. However, it said many may have returned by now. According to Greek media reports, several houses and a church were badly damaged. According to officials, the flames damaged several houses in the village of Loutros and also destroyed farmland. In total, firefighters are battling 53 fires in the country.

Tenerife: Police arson

Five days after the bushfires in Tenerife, there are first signs of progress. “The worst is over,” Canary Islands Prime Minister Fernando Clavijo said. The fire cannot be said to be under control yet. But one is in the process of “confirming it on all fronts”.

According to official estimates, around 13,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to the fires in the north and northeast of the island. Clavijo expressed hope that they would then be able to return to their homes.

Fernando Clavijo, the government’s regional head, said the fire had been brought under control on several sides, thanks to the “excellent work of firefighting crews and excellent weather conditions.” Winds will weaken, temperatures will be low and humidity will be high.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez got an idea of ​​the situation on the site and promised to help with reconstruction: “All of Spain is on the side of the Canary Islands and Tenerife,” said the Socialist.

According to officials, not a single house has been destroyed by the fire so far. There were no injuries. Normal situation prevails in tourist areas.

More than 300 fire fighters and 24 aircraft and helicopters have been deployed. Early in the morning, he took to site X on Twitter: “The night went better than expected – and brought back a certain sense of normalcy and serenity.”

The flames have so far covered 12,800 hectares of nature, according to the Canary Emergency Service. It corresponds to about six percent of the island’s surface. It was one of the worst fires to hit Tenerife in 40 years. Police now believe that the cause was arson.

Canada: Military Assists with Evacuation

In Canada, wildfires were recently fueled by strong winds. In total, there are 1,000 active fires, two-thirds of which are out of control, according to the Canadian Forest Fire Centre.

In the particularly hard-hit city of West Kelowna on Okanagan Lake in southern British Columbia, the situation is “finally looking good,” local fire chief Jason Broland told a news conference, the CBC reported. According to him, no other houses were destroyed in the community in one day.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the deployment of soldiers and equipment to the province. Trudeau’s Platform X previously tweeted that the military would help with evacuations and other logistics.

A large fire threatening West Kelowna, among other places, covers 11,000 hectares, officials said. About 150 kilometers to the north, two fires merged on Saturday to create more than 41,000 hectares, according to officials. Officials said the area around Suswap Lake was affected. Forest fires are common in many parts of Canada. However, it is currently experiencing the worst season in the history of the country. Experts see extreme fires as a result of the climate crisis, which has led, among other things, to drier soils.