Extract from The Guardian
Extreme heat and dry, gusty conditions fuel wildfires in countries across Europe and North America.
Last modified on Mon 9 Aug 2021 21.45 AEST
Wildfires are raging across Europe and North America as scorching temperatures and dry conditions fuel the blazes that have cost lives and destroyed livelihoods.
The combination of extreme heat and prolonged drought have in many regions led to the worst fires in almost a decade, and come as the IPCC is poised to hand down a landmark report on the climate crisis.
Scientists warn rising global temps due to greenhouse gas emissions are increasing the risk of fire conditions across the planet.
Parts of Europe are enduring severe heatwaves, while hot, bone-dry gusty weather has caused devastating wildfires in California. The US state is fighting to contain its largest blaze in its history. More than 100 other large fires are raging in other parts of America.
Here are some of the countries currently battling severe fires:
Greece
Greece has been fighting some of the worst blazes in Europe amid blistering temperatures. Fires have raged across the country for nearly two weeks, leaving dozens needing hospital treatment.
Evia, Greece’s second largest island, was under severe threat over the weekend and thousands packed up their belongings and fled their homes.
Already, the extent of the destruction is greater than previous fire seasons.
In the 10 days to 7 August, nearly 57,000 hectares (140,000 acres) were burnt in Greece, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. The average area burnt over the same period between 2008 and 2020 was 1,700 hectares.
Turkey
Blazes have swept through swaths of the southern coast for the past 10 days, killing at least eight people.
Tens
of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes, and fire
has devastated vast tracts of pine forest and agricultural land. Rain
brought some respite over the weekend.
Italy
The first significant wildfires in the country, between 24 and 26 July, destroyed 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of forest and forced the evacuation of 800 people from their homes in south-west Sardinia.
Russia
Authorities in Siberia moved to evacuate several villages in the vast region on Sunday, where 155 blazes are burning. The hot weather, coupled with the neglect of fire safety rules, has caused a growing number of infernos, which have destroyed scores of homes and buildings.
United States
In the US, firefighters in northern California are battling the largest single wildfire in state history.
The Dixie Fire, named for the road where it started nearly four weeks ago, has grown to an area of 725 square miles (1,875 square kilometres). Just 21% of the blaze is contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It has scorched an area more than twice the size of New York City.
California’s raging blazes were among 107 large fires burning across 14 states, mostly in the west.
Canada
Fires continue to burn across British Colombia despite some rains over the weekend. Local media reported 279 wildfires raging in the province on Sunday, with tens of thousands of residents subject to evacuation alerts.
British Columbia has seen nearly 5,800 sq km of its forest burned since the spring, with months still left in the fire season.
With Associated Press and Agence-France Presse
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