Spain has an “extreme risk” of new forest fires while 14 flames have spread

Spain is at an “extreme risk” of new forest fires, warned the Prime Minister of the country, while firefighters continue to fight 14 major flames.

In an article on X, Pedro Sanchez said that he expected the conditions on Friday to be “very difficult again” because he published a graph of the National Weather Agency Aemet warning extreme fire risks in the north and west of the country.

Temperatures should reach 40 ° C on the Spanish north coast, after more than 1,500 km2 (579 miles m²) were devastated by the flames and seven people died.

A heat wave has burned southeast Europe’s sections this week, which prompted forest fires in Spain, Portugal, Greece, France and Balkans.

In Galicia, several fires merged to form a huge fire, forcing the closure of motorways and rail services in the region.

Approached, the largest emergency air service operator in Europe, said it had recorded a 50% increase compared to last year at flight hours dedicated to fire -fighting operations in Spain and Portugal so far this season, Reuters reported.

AEMET provides that the heat wave will continue until Monday, with temperatures up to 44 ° C in certain regions, as well as moderate winds.

Forest fires are a current event in southern Europe in summer, but their severity can often be exacerbated by heat waves.

Meteorologists say that such extremes are becoming more and more frequent and intense due to climate change induced by humans.

EU data show that around 6,290 km2 (2,429 miles m²) have burned through the block since the start of the year, with forest fires in Spain comprising about a quarter of the total.

The Spain Civil Guard said it had arrested two men suspected of making fires in Castille and León – taking the number of criminal fire fire at 10 since the beginning of June.

Although weather conditions are currently favorable to forest fires, they can be triggered by barbecues, cigarette heels or thrown bottles. Encouraging a forest fire is a criminal offense in Spain, even if it is accidental.

Spain is the fifth European nation to request aid on the fight against forest fires. In Greece, 100 km2 (38 miles m²) have burned since Tuesday.

Friday, firefighters still attacked an active front on the Greek island of Chios, three days after the start of the fire, with repair teams warning that it could take more than a week to restore the damaged infrastructure. A large part of the island is always without electricity, with certain problems of water supply reported in certain areas.

A very high risk of forest fire was issued on Friday for Attica, the Peloponnese, the center of Greece, Thessaly, the center and the east of Macedonia and Thrace, as well as the north and southern Aegean, according to the Civil Protection of Greece.

Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania have also activated the EU civil protection mechanism, which allows any country affected by a disaster – both in Europe and beyond – to request emergency assistance.

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