Firefighters in southwestern France are battling the flames of a massive wildfire. The fires have destroyed many homes and caused evacuations for more than 37,000 residents. Greece, Portugal, and Spain have also been impacted by this heat wave, and firefighters have been fighting fires for eight days. The fires in France are especially intense and difficult to put out because of strong winds.
Wildfires raging in southwestern France
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as a result of the heatwave. In the Gironde department alone, nearly 11,000 hectares of forest are reportedly burning. The fires are also causing a severe drought in Portugal, which is already experiencing more frequent, more intense heat waves. The Interior Ministry has notified local authorities of the situation and has dispatched 200 extra firefighters and firefighting planes. In addition, the Interior Ministry has ordered more fire trucks and a larger number of fire-fighting planes. As of Monday, there were 51 different departments in France on red and orange high alerts. The heatwave is expected to continue until the end of the month, and the country is already experiencing high temperatures and drought.
Authorities have evacuated more than 14,900 people from towns and villages in the area. There have been more than 31,000 people evacuated from the region since July 12. A total of 1,000 firefighters have been working to put out the fires in the Gironde region, which is home to the most famous wineries in Europe and a popular summer tourism destination. More than 2,000 hectares of land have been burned since Tuesday and more than 1,000 firefighters are working to bring the blaze under control.
The heatwave in southwestern Europe has already caused devastating forest fires in the region, with the French capital, Bordeaux, experiencing the highest temperature on record. As a result, the country has put 22 more departments on high orange alert, mostly along the Atlantic coast. The temperatures are forecast to reach more than 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday. At least two more fires were reported in Sibenik, Croatia, on Monday. Despite the heat, the city was able to avoid a major incident.
Spain
A large wildfire in southern Spain has forced the evacuation of about 2,000 people. The blaze swept across seven square miles, west of Marabella, and injured three firefighters. The fire broke out on the Pujerra mountain, which lies above the popular Costa del Sol. The town of Benahavis has around 8,000 residents, while Pujerra is home to about 300 people. It is located about an hour west of Malaga.
Authorities have stepped up their firefighting efforts, deploying military and civil defence forces to help put out the blaze. Meanwhile, the fire in the Andalucian region has burned more than 14,000 hectares (33,500 acres). Firefighting efforts have been hampered by high temperatures and strong winds, but the situation is expected to improve as the heatwave wears off. More than 40 aircraft are being deployed to help combat the blaze from above.
The fire in southern Spain has destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of bushes and woods. The fire, which started on Friday in the Mijas mountain range, forced the evacuation of nearly 3,000 people. As of Sunday evening, around 2,000 people had returned home and the remainder of them could do so as the fire continues to burn. However, it is unclear whether residents will be able to return home unless the fire is put out by Monday.
Greece
A fire is raging in the mountainside suburbs northeast of Athens. Winds are a contributing factor in making firefighting difficult. The fire is estimated to have destroyed dozens of houses, cars and businesses, including the ancient Olympia. The heat wave and wildfires in Greece have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. A government minister said the fires are growing more severe, and that firefighters were facing dangerous conditions.
In northern Greece, the fires have spread across four fronts, destroying houses and forest land. Greek coast guard vessels have helped evacuate 90 residents from the city of Rovies, where the fire has destroyed more than 30 homes. Those evacuated were sent to the port of Edipsos. Similar scenes are unfolding in the ancient Olympia, in the Peloponnees. Firefighting efforts are hampered by thick smoke.
Firefighters are battling four major fires across the country, including one on the island of Lesbos. Over 450 people have been evacuated from the island holiday resort of Vatera, which is located on the southern coast of the island. The evacuation began five hours after the first emergency message was issued. The fire has been battling with over 50 firefighters, 17 fire engines, nine special firefighting aircraft, and one helicopter.
Strong winds making it harder to extinguish flames
A record number of wildfires have swept through southern Europe and northern Africa in recent weeks. In Spain, Portugal, Greece, France, Turkey, and Morocco, wildfires have devastated thousands of acres of forest and destroyed homes. After a dry and hot spring, the fire season in Europe has started early this year. The high temperatures and strong winds are contributing to the increase in wildfires.
The World Wildlife Fund says that climate change is making it harder to put out fires. During the summer, European forest fires are spreading faster, resulting in more extensive damage. This report urges governments to improve forestry management in areas where fires have been common. But the report notes that urbanization and depopulation are also contributing to the spread of wildfires. “We cannot allow the current rate of fires to continue unabated. We need to take steps to ensure that we have sufficient resources and that we are fully prepared to deal with the consequences of climate change,” Thomas Smith of the London School of Economics.
The recent heatwave in Europe has claimed 13 lives, and in some areas, rails are starting to buckle and rails are warping. Over 1,400 wildfires have been reported across Europe so far this year. Efforts to fight these fires will be even harder because of the swirling winds. Meanwhile, firefighting in southern Europe is affecting many countries, especially Portugal and Spain.
Number of people forced to flee
The heat wave in southern Europe is causing wildfires to spread across the continent and have displaced thousands of people. In France, two huge blazes have burned through pine forests, causing thousands of people to flee their homes. Meanwhile, in Spain, Portugal, and Greece, wildfires have forced thousands of people to leave their homes. While Spain and Portugal are experiencing fewer wildfires, temperatures have reached 40 degrees Celsius in parts of southern Europe. Firefighters are battling the flames in areas of France, Spain, and Italy, causing a great loss of property and life.
France has scrambled water-bombing planes and hundreds of firefighters to put out the blazes. Because of hot, arid conditions and spiralling winds, the wildfires are advancing rapidly. Authorities in the southern French region of Brittany announced plans to evacuate more than three thousand people and 4,000 homes. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry reported that three more water-dropping planes have joined the six already on the ground.
Despite the widespread devastation caused by wildfires in southern France, the fires are slowly being contained. The French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the area where the worst fire spread, met firefighters on Monday. Earlier this month, a 39-year-old man was detained in connection with a fire in the Gironde region, which scorched 13,600 acres and forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people. As of Monday afternoon, only about two thousand people in the region have returned home.
Human behavioural responses to wildfires
As a result, many people’s responses to evacuation warnings are inconsistent with their observable behaviour. They tend to mill about, delay leaving their home, and create traffic congestion in the most vulnerable areas. Moreover, many people do not fully understand the risks and return home before it is safe to do so. These patterns have become a constant source of media attention. To improve emergency management, we should better understand people’s behavior and the underlying psychological processes that motivate our actions.
Research into human behaviour has focused on the physical and psychological aspects of human behavior in fire situations. It has included a number of studies that have examined the timing of evacuation-related actions and cues. These studies have also investigated the role of smoke in determining people’s responses. Hence, if we can understand the timing of occupants’ responses to fire events, it will be easier to predict the safety of people during a disaster.
The research results of this study highlight the importance of human behaviour in fire studies. According to Ed Galea, head of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich, fires do not spread quickly without incorporating human behaviour. Without an accurate understanding of fire behaviour, he cannot build a reliable fire model. In the end, it will help to reduce the risk of disasters. This will also help firefighters prepare for disasters.
