From BZ/dpa
In Greece, the authorities register well over 100 fires – some places have to be evacuated. In Spain, most are under control on the mainland, but the situation in Tenerife is causing concern. Things are looking bad again in California.
The massive fires on the island of Lesbos and in the Dadia National Park in north-eastern Greece also raged uncontrollably on Sunday. On Lesbos, the residents of the village of Vrisa on the south side of the island were asked to leave the village at noon. Houses and cars fell victim to the flames.
The smoke on Lesvos was so strong that it could be seen from space. This was announced by the European earth observation system Copernicus on Twitter and posted a corresponding satellite image. Meanwhile, in northeastern Greece, countless hectares of the Dadia National Park burned. The military and forest workers tried to cut aisles in the pine forests on Sunday and thereby prevent the flames from spreading further. In the meantime, more than 320 firefighters with 68 fire engines were deployed.
According to the fire department, 141 fires were registered across Greece within 24 hours. According to civil protection, almost all available fire-fighting helicopters and aircraft are currently in use nationwide.
Among other things, a substation of the state electricity company caught fire near the city of Larisa in Thessaly. Also on the western edge of the capital Athens must be deleted again. For Monday, the fire brigade still assessed the risk of fire as high to very high. Meteorologists announced high temperatures of up to 40 degrees and drought by the beginning of August.
That’s the situation in Spain
The situation eased in Spain – with the exception of the Canary Island of Tenerife.
The flames have already destroyed more than 2150 hectares on the island, which is popular with tourists, regional president Ángel Víctor Torres said late Saturday evening. 585 residents of La Guancha and four other communities in the north of the island have been brought to safety.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife: A fire-fighting helicopter pours water on a forest fire Photo: dpa
The approximately 150 emergency services have recently made great progress in fighting the fire, also thanks to higher humidity and weaker winds. The temperature increase announced for Sunday and Monday up to 38 degrees is worrying. “So we have to put out the fire as soon as possible,” Torres said.
In combination with a drought that has lasted for months and strong winds, the heat has favored the outbreak and spread of many fires, according to the Spanish weather service Aemet. 2022 is already the most devastating forest fire year for Spain since records began. In the first seven months of the year, flames destroyed around 200,000 hectares – around 80 percent of the area of Saarland.
Fear of fire in Italy
Meanwhile, around 350 people were brought to safety in Italy near Gorizia (Gorizia) on the border with Slovenia. The reason is the fire in Slovenia, which could spread to Italy because of the strong wind, the fire brigade said on Sunday night. The place Savogna d’Isonzo was affected.
Building destroyed in California
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in the affected area because of a rapidly spreading fire near the US National Park Yosemite. The so-called Oak Fire, which raged around 48 square kilometers in the Mariposa district on Saturday evening (local time), destroyed ten buildings and damaged five others, according to the Cal Fire authority responsible.
Firefighters respond to a fire near Midpines, California Photo: AFP
Almost 2,700 houses are threatened by the fire that broke out on Friday afternoon for reasons that are still unknown. According to media reports, thousands of residents had to get to safety. The southwestern United States has been suffering from several forest fires for weeks, which the authorities say are favored by the persistent drought.