California firefighters slow the spread of Oak Fire near Yosemite

by ActiveFeatured News

According to the latest update from Cal Fire, Monday was a successful day for aircraft and firefighters, resulting in minimal growth of the Oak Fire that that began on Friday and has since spread rapidly in forcing thousands of evacuations in the nearby area.

Helicopters dropped 300,000 gallons of water on the fire and crews continued to construct control lines and extinguish hot spots along existing lines. Cal Fire said fire is moving in a northeast direction and fire crews are working aggressively using bulldozers, hand crews and aircraft. Evacuation orders were reduced to fire advisements in some areas.

Fire restrictions and closures near the fire area are in place on the Sierra National Forest. This closure will support public safety by keeping public members out of hazardous burn areas and will allow firefighting resources to combat the Fire without public interference. 

The Oak Fire that closed within half a mile (0.8 km) from the town of Mariposa Pines, 10 miles (16 km) from Yosemite. By Monday evening, the fire had consumed 17,241 Acres and was 16 per cent contained.

More than 2,000 first responders from state and federal agencies were reportedly battling the blaze, attacking it both from the ground and the air. Fire officials said at least 21 homes and 34 other structures have been destroyed.

Around 3,800 people were under evacuation orders, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese told a public briefing at a crowded auditorium in the town of Mariposa, the county seat. Cal Fire officials said they had robust firefighting teams on scene early on, but the fire progressed atypically and overran their best efforts.

California wildfire: Thousands evacuate as Governor declares state of emergency

by ActiveAmericas - Breaking NewsBreaking News

Fuelled by extreme heat, dry forests and underbrush, the Oak Fire that began on Friday has spread rapidly in California forcing thousands of evacuations in the nearby area, with more than 400 firefighters battling the blaze

Governor of California Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Saturday due to the effects of the Oak Fire. He said the state has secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire.

Firefighters have deployed air tankers, bulldozers and hand crews to battle a fast-moving wildfire just west of Yosemite National Park on Sunday that suddenly and unpredictably grew into what has become one of the largest fires of the year.

The Oak Fire that closed within half a mile (0.8 km) from the town of Mariposa Pines, 10 miles (16 km) from Yosemite. By Sunday evening, the fire had consumed 15,603 acres (6,314 hectares) and was zero percent contained, according to the latest update from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Around 3,800 people were under evacuation orders, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese told a public briefing at a crowded auditorium in the town of Mariposa, the county seat. Cal Fire officials said they had robust firefighting teams on scene early on, but the fire progressed atypically and overran their best efforts.

The fire was moving east up into the sierra, toward the town of Mariposa Pines and in the direction of Yosemite, Justin Macomb, a Cal Fire operations section chief, told the public meeting.

“The fire quickly outflanked us. We couldn’t even attack it with the resources that we had on hand,” Macomb said. “In my career, I haven’t seen fire behaviour like that.”

Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest, said that climate change has made the region much warmer and drier over the past 30 years which has led to California experiencing increasingly large and deadly wildfires.

Patterson said: “The fire is moving quickly. This fire was throwing embers out in front of itself for up to two miles yesterday. These are exceptional fire conditions.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Surrey Fire and Rescue declares Farnham grassland fire ‘major incident’

by ActiveFeatured News

The police have closed roads and urged people to stay clear of the areas where a grassland fire took place around Hankley Common near Farnham, Surrey, which saw the fire brigade declare a major incident on Sunday.

At least eight hectares of land were affected by the blaze which was scaled down from being a major incident on Sunday evening. Three surrounding roads have been closed.

Crews are expected to remain on the scene today and people have been advised to avoid the area and to keep doors and windows closed amid large volumes of smoke.

The fire service later tweeted to ask those nearby to stop calling 999 to report smoke clouds, after receiving “an incredibly high” number of calls, adding some local roads had been closed as a result of the incident.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service issued a plea to the public, asking people to: “Please help keep our outdoors safe: pack a picnic instead of a disposable barbecue and dispose of cigarettes correctly.”

People were also warned to stay “far away from the fire as it can travel quickly”.

The grassland area is known for its appearance in the James Bond film Skyfall.

Tenerife fire threatens 200 hectares of forest

by ActiveFeatured News

A forest fire in Tenerife that started yesterday afternoon has continued to spread today, affecting around 200 hectares of public forest.

The fire is now thought to be the 12th affecting the Spanish territory as a heatwave sweeps across large parts of Europe.

According to data provided by the technicians the flames have so far affected some 200 hectares and the fire has a perimeter of 5 kilometers of public forest, without affecting, for the time being, any homes.

The head of the Executive announced that 150 troops were dispatched to help with the fire extinction, amounting to a total of 230 people including the security forces. A total of 10 aerial means have been operated.

Following compatisons to a similar fire that took place in 2007 in the same area, President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres said that there are: “Better conditions because there are no relevant gusts of wind and it is expected that this will continue in the coming hours.”

High temperatures, together with low humidity, represent a potentially aggravating factor, so the President said their aim is to try and stabilize the fire today.

Slovenia calls in assistance as forest fires break out near Italian border

by ActiveBreaking News

Slovenia has requested assistance to tackle forest fires in the Karst of Gorica region of the Miren Kostanjevica municipality. The fires forced the evacuation of three villages.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism is providing Slovenia with 3 firefighting helicopters, (one from Austria, one from Croatia, and one from Slovakia), and a Croatian forest fire fighting team, consisting of 4 trucks and 9 firefighters.

an amphibious firefighting plane from the rescEU reserve stationed in Croatia has been deployed.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “This is, no doubt, one of the biggest wildfires in the history of Slovenia. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Croatia, Austria, and Slovakia. Their help via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to Slovenia, my home country, is deeply appreciated. This is EU solidarity at its best.

“At the same time and in view of ever more devastating impacts of climate change, which we are currently witnessing across Europe, I reiterate the need for immediate action at every level across the sectors in every Member State, with support of the EU, as to strengthen our response capacities but foremost preparedness to prevent the worst.”

EU Civil Protection Mechanism

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism strengthens cooperation between and among Member States and Participating States in the field of civil protection, with a view to improving prevention, preparedness, and response to disasters.

When the scale of an emergency overwhelms the response capabilities of a country, it can request assistance via the Mechanism. 

To date, all EU Member States participate in the Mechanism, as well as Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey. 

Heatwave sees London Fire Brigade’s busiest day since World War II

by ActiveBreaking News

London Fire Brigade has reported its busiest day since World War II as record temperatures led to hundreds of fires across the city on Tuesday, with more than 1,146 incidents throughout the capital.

More than 40 houses and shops were destroyed after a number of significant grass fires spread to nearby buildings, including in Wennington, Dagenham and Kenton. Crews tackled fires at garages, farm buildings, vehicles, outbuildings, a car wash and a church hall. A total of 16 firefighters suffered heat-related injuries, and two of them were taken to hospital.

Control Officers also worked relentlessly throughout the day, taking 2,670 calls between 8am on Tuesday and around 0630 on Wednesday morning. The Fire Investigation team was also busy mobilising to fires around London.

In the aftermath of the fires, Borough Commanders and their stations are engaging with people in communities affected by the fires to offer our ongoing support.

The Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner, Jonathan Smith, said on Wednesday: “Firefighters across London worked in very difficult conditions to protect Londoners and their heroic actions mean no lives were lost. I am immensely proud of them and their dedication in such unprecedented heat.

“We declared a major incident and worked with emergency service partners who have also been working hard to continue to run services in these difficult and challenging conditions. By taking action, we were able to focus and prioritise our resources, recall staff from training, call on support from other local fire and rescue services and attend every incident as needed.

“Yesterday’s fires are another example of how we are increasingly being challenged by new extremes of weather as our climate changes and we’re developing long-term strategies to deal with more incidents like this in the future.”

Firefighters remain ready to respond to incidents and the Brigade is continuing to monitor the weather conditions and the forecast for the coming days, with additional resource in place.

Assistant Commissioner Smith added: “Despite some rain in parts of London overnight, the ground is still likely to be dry, so as well as fires there is also a risk of surface water flooding.

“If you are at risk of flooding, you can take action now to prepare. Please continue to pay attention to weather alerts and prepare a flood kit or grab bag.”

Wildfire fuelled by gale-force winds forces evacuations in Greece

by ActiveBreaking News

 A wildfire fuelled by gale-force winds took hold in the mountainous region of Penteli near Athens on Wednesday morning, burning homes and causing authorities to order the evacuation of at least nine areas and a hospital.

The fire initially broke out at around 2.30pm on Tuesday afternoon in the region 27km north of central Athens.

Around 485 firefighters and 120 fire engines were sent out to tackle the blaze which was burning on several fronts. More than seven helicopters and planes were dumping water on the flames.

“It was a difficult night,” said Fire Department spokesperson Yiannis Artopios in a televised statement, noting that the wind speed exceeded 80 kilometres per hour. Strong winds are expected to persist until Wednesday afternoon.

“Due to the intensity and speed of the winds, the fire constantly changed direction throughout the night, which made fighting it, in the middle of the night, even more difficult,”

One hospital and the National Observatory of Athens had been evacuated as a precaution. Traffic was halted on roads leading to Penteli and police helped at least 600 residents to find their way out of the fire-stricken areas.

The breakout follows the news of Greece’s new initiative to help prevent a reoccurrence of last year´s disastrous fire season with the introduction of the rescEU firefighting fleet. 

The EU pre-positioned some heavy duty fire fighting forces to Greece from six member countries: Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Norway and Romania. These countries are a part of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and are deploying more than 200 firefighters to Greece in total.

Last year, wildfires hit around 300,000 acres (121,000 hectares) of forest and bushland in different parts of Greece as the country experienced its worst heat wave in 30 years.

Firefighters tackle blazes across South of England as temperatures soar

by ActiveFeatured News

Firefighters across the south of England are being faced with large outbreaks of fire as the country records its hottest day ever.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) has declared a major incident as fire has broken out in Wennington, Essex. The grass fire broke out and reports have said at least two houses have been destroyed.

LFB said it was under ‘immense pressure’ in response to a surge in fires across the capital today with 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters dealing with the Wennington blaze alone.

Essex Fire Service said it was called out to 130 incidents during Monday’s hot weather with Incident commander Nick Singleton commenting that it was “probably one of the busiest days of my 30-year career”.

In Upminster, around 175 firefighters have been battling a grass fire in east London that sent thick smoke over the M25. Around three hectares of cornfield and scrubland was alight in Pea Lane, Upminster, Motorway drivers have been urged to take care as their visibility may have been impaired by the columns of smoke.

More than 85 firefighters are also tackling two fires in Croydon woodlands in the south of the capital. Eight fire engines with 60 firefighters have been sent to tackle one of the fires in Shirley Hills. Four fire engines are dealing with a grass fire on Chapel View in South Croydon, where around one hectare (2.5 acres) of woodland and undergrowth is alight.

London Fire Brigade says the weather means grassland “will burn quickly”. A spokesperson said: “Common causes of grass fires include carelessly discarded cigarettes or matches, as well as rubbish left lying around such as glass bottles, which can start flames by magnifying the sun’s rays.

“Every one of us can help reduce the risk of fire and keep our communities clean, make sure rubbish is safely thrown away and cigarettes are always properly disposed of.”

In Hornchurch, two flats destroyed and a care home evacuated by a fire which led to 60 people being evacuated from an assisted living facility in east London. About 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines were called to the fire on Mavis Grove, Hornchurch, at around 1am.

Yesterday afternoon a fire broken out on grassland at Lickey Hills Country Park, Birmingham as the heatwave continued to push temperatures higher.

The blaze spread from about 400 square metres (4,305 sq ft) of land to 50,000 square metres (53,820 sq ft) in the Rose Hill area within hours according to the BBC.

Thousands evacuated as fires rage across Europe

by ActiveFeatured News

Firefighters in France’s southwestern Gironde region have been fighting to control two forest fires that have destroyed more than 10,000 hectares since Tuesday.

Since Tuesday, more than 14,000 people — residents and tourists combined — have been forced to evacuate with seven emergency shelters set up in order to receive evacuees.

Meteo France forecast temperatures of up to 41 degrees Celsius in parts of southern France on Sunday, as well as up to 35 in the northwest, with new heat records expected today.

“It’s a Herculean job,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Olivier Chavatte from the fire and rescue service, which has 1,200 firefighters and five planes in action.

Evacuation orders were given on Saturday for a few hundred residents, firefighter spokesman Arnaud Mendousse told AFP.

“Several fires are still active in France,” interior minister Gerald Darmanin said in a tweet. “Our firefighters are fighting the flames with remarkable courage,” he added.

France late on Saturday placed 22 more departments, mainly down its Atlantic seaboard, on high orange alert, taking the current total to 38.

Authorities in the French Alps urged climbers bound for Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, to postpone their trip due to repeated rock falls caused by “exceptional climatic conditions” and “drought”.

The French government has increased efforts to protect people in nursing homes, the homeless and other vulnerable populations after a vicious heatwave and poor planning led to nearly 15,000 deaths in 2003.

In southern Spain, more than 3,200 people fled fires in the Mijas hills, though later some were able to return. Fires in Portugal are currently contained.

More than 1,000 deaths have been attributed to the heat in Portugal and Spain in recent days.

Elsewhere in Spain, wildfires have broken out in the provinces of Castilla y León, Galicia and Extremadura.

Across the Mediterranean, Morocco has ordered more than 1,300 people to leave their homes and deployed more firefighters to tackle forest blazes in the north. The worst-hit area is Larache province.

Some areas in south-west Turkey and on Croatia’s Adriatic coast are also struggling with wildfires. A number broke out near Croatia’s resort towns of Zadar and Sibenik, but they have not forced any major evacuations.

Wildfires rage across Europe as heatwave strengthens

by ActiveFeatured News

Wildfires have continued to burn across Portugal, Spain, France and Croatia as large parts of Europe face a persistent heatwave pushing temperatures into the mid-40Cs.

In Portugal’s central Leiria district firefighters battled to control blazes that have been fanned by strong winds. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said during a briefing with the national meteorological institute IPMA: “It is absolutely crucial we avoid new events because it leads to the exhaustion of firefighters and all others … who are doing their best to control the situation.”

In western Spain a fire that started in the Extremadura region on Tuesday crossed into Salamanca province in the region of Castile and Leon, forcing the evacuation of 49 children from a summer camp on Thursday. Regional authorities said more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of land had been burned.

On Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, firefighting planes were called in to dispense water over burning forests whilst troops were enlisted in to help firefighters in the battle to contain three major wildfires around Zadar and Sibenek.

In southwestern France more than 1,000 firefighters backed by nine water-dropping planes battled two wildfires that started on Tuesday and have already burnt 5,300 hectares.

Thousands of people were also evacuated from homes on Turkey’s southwestern Datca peninsula due to a fire that started on Wednesday which was hit with strong winds overnight and threatened residential areas.

A study in the journal Nature found that the number of heatwaves in Europe has increased three-to-four times faster than in the rest of the northern mid-latitudes, such as the United States and Canada, due in large part to the jet stream air current splitting into two parts for longer periods.

The study’s co-author Kai Kornhuber, a climate scientist at Columbia University, told Reuters: “Europe is very much affected by changes in atmospheric circulation. It’s a heatwave hotspot.”