Record heat wave has struck the Southwest region of Europe since the start of the week, triggering huge, ever-expanding forest fires that have ravaged thousands of hectares of land and killed several people.
Firefighters in France, Portugal, and Spain are battling forest blazes that have ravaged thousands of hectares of land and killed at least 1,000 people in recent days.
Portugal’s Health Ministry said that in the last seven days at least 659 people died due to the heatwave, most of them elderly, as the temperatures exceeded 40 degrees in several regions
The number of heat-related deaths in Spain rose to 360 lately as the region is in the grip of extreme temperatures.
The devastating forest blaze shows no sign of decreasing as the affected regions get ready for new temperature records early next week.
It is the second heat wave in particular parts of the continent which according to scientists is due to climate change while more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather are expected in the upcoming days.
Dozens of fires are burning in Portugal and Spain where temperatures have risen above 40C.
Destruction in the Affected Area
Firefighters in Spain, France, Greece and Portugal are countering forest blazes that have devoured a large area and caused numerous deaths. The data is given below:
- A total of 39,550 hectares (98,000 acres) area was ravaged by wildfires from the start of the year until mid-June, as per data from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests.
- In France’s southwestern Gironde region two forest blazes have ruined more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) since Tuesday
- 360 heat-related deaths are registered by the Carlos III Health Institute.
- Fires also burnt the central region of Castille and Leon and in Galicia in the north
- 238 people had died as a result of the heatwave between July 7 and 13 according to Portugal’s Health Ministry
- More than 300 sq km have been torched this year in Portugal
- An estimated 73 sq km of pine forest has burned down in recent days, including around Arcachon and Landiras
Evacuation Processes
Residents and holidaymakers have fled towns and villages in the fire struck areas of Europe, many have been evacuated by the firefighters,
- More than 11,000 people have been forced to leave France’s south-western Gironde region in the past few days.
- Portuguese villagers were also directed to flee for their lives when flames crossed the border from Spain.
- The main N-5 route in Cáceres just east of the park was cut off when a forest fire reached the road.
- Police in southwest France went from door to door in an effort to evacuate 4,000 residents from the Cazaux district southwest of Bordeaux.
The head of France’s firefighters’ federation has warned of the impact global warming is having on civil protection. “It’s firefighters, civil security who deal with the effects on a daily basis – and these effects aren’t in 2030, they’re right now,” said Grégory Allione.