Forest fires torch areas of Spain and France
Two firefighters died as at least 10 forest fires swept across tinder dry landscapes amid soaring summer temperatures across Spain, officials said yesterday.
The pilot of a small firefighting plane died when his aircraft crashed into trees on Saturday as he attempted to spray water on the flames and a land-based fireman was later crushed by falling rocks as he worked to help control a blaze, police said.
Many of the fires may have been started intentionally, leading Agriculture Minister, Elena Espinosa, to call for ”greater responsibility,” without elaborating.
“Many of our forests now face a difficult road to recovery,” Espinosa told reporters.
Spain is in the grip of its worst drought in over 60 years with many rivers, lakes and reservoirs at less than 20% of their capacity.
Temperatures reached 42 Celsius, the hottest this year, in several southern regions on Saturday and were likely to stay there for some days, the national weather centre said.
Some fear Spain see a repeat of the high summer temperatures seen in 2003, when 19,000 people died across Europe.
Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters battled blazes in two areas of southern France yesterday that forced the evacuation of campsites and temporarily cut electricity in 50,000 homes, fire officials said.
Strong winds fuelled the fires, which burned through forested areas close to the towns of Hyeres, in the Var region of southern France, and Manosque, further to the north in the foothills of the Alps.
Authorities in the Var were forced to cut high-tension lines that affected homes in Hyeres and two nearby towns, as some 300 firefighters battled blazes that had burned through 50 hectares (125 acres) of forest, fire officials said.
Three campsites of vacationers were evacuated near the town of Manosque in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region, regional official Mohamed Saadallah told LCI television.
The blazes came as French firefighters brought into use a new type of water-dropping plane – the Dash-8 – after suspending use of Canadair planes following the death of two firefighters in Corsica last week.
Concern about seasonal summer fires in southern France has been heightened this year because of a severe drought affecting much of southern Europe. Wildfires have burned more than 68,000 hectares (168,000 acres) of woodland this year in Portugal.
