Much of Europe has faced weeks of baking temperatures that have also depleted the water levels of Germany’s Rhine River and seen the source of Britain’s River Thames drying up further than in previous years.
High temperatures and a worsening drought have led to a high risk of new fires breaking out in the Gironde, southwest France, local officials said, even after an overnight suspension of control of the days-burning blaze has burned thousands of hectares and displaced 10,000 people. .
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Firefighters from Germany, Romania, Greece and beyond were on the ground to help France tackle the blaze in the region – the home of Bordeaux wine – as well as on other fronts, including Brittany in the north-west.
“It doesn’t matter the country, we are firefighters and we are there to help,” said Romanian chief firefighter Cristian Buhaianu, in Gironde.
French commander Stephanie Martin welcomed their support in an area already battling a massive fire for weeks last month. “Our firefighters are tired after a month of fighting. It’s really good support for us, so we can also focus on the other business,” he said.
But while the expected end of France’s third heatwave on Sunday could bring some relief, the fire has already wreaked havoc, including more than 7,400 hectares (18,286 acres) of forest burned to the ground – equivalent to the size of a large French city. like Nice.
What firefighters called a “monster fire” also destroyed houses, including the ancestral home of the family of 19-year-old student Juliette Pilain, from Belin-Beliet, in the heart of the Gironde.
“It’s complicated to process this news. It’s a house that’s been in the family for years, it’s especially painful for my grandparents,” Peele told Reuters.
“We had all my great-grandparents’ furniture there, my great-grandmother’s books and encyclopedia … we cried a lot but then we thought it was just property damage and we’re all still here.”
A firefighting aircraft drops flame retardant to put out a fire near Hostens, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France, in this handout photo released August 12, 2022. Courtesy SDIS 33/Handout via REUTERS
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FIRES IN PORTUGAL, UK DROUGHT
In central Portugal, a huge wildfire is raging into its seventh day, with 1,600 firefighters backed by 13 water-bombing planes, including one from Spain, battling the blaze that has destroyed about 15 percent of the Serra da Estrela national park. After starting in the Covilha district on Saturday, the fire spread to several neighboring councils, burning a total of about 15,000 hectares. Meanwhile, water levels on Germany’s Rhine River fell again, with some ships no longer able to sail, shipping companies and brokers said. read more Further north in Britain, the heatwave was also hitting hard, with the government officially declaring parts of southern, central and eastern England drought-stricken after a prolonged period of hot and dry weather. England suffered its driest July since 1935, with just 35% of average rainfall for the month, and parts of England and Wales were now in the midst of a four-day “extreme heat” alert. read more “All water companies have assured us that essential supplies are still secure and we have made it clear that it is their duty to maintain those supplies,” Water Minister Steve Double said after a meeting of the National Drought Task Force. Companies will now start implementing pre-agreed drought plans to help protect supplies and the government said members of the public and businesses in drought-affected areas are being urged to use water wisely. Earlier on Friday, Yorkshire Water announced that the hose ban would start on August 26, banning customers from using hoses to water gardens, wash cars or fill swimming pools. Across France, too, there are restrictions on water use and the water police have imposed fines. Local media reported outdoor hot tubs were vandalized in the Vosges tourist region as tensions rose over water. (This story corrects the date in the dateline) Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, Sachin Ravikumar, Myriam Rivet, Manuel Ausloos, Stephane Mahe, Layly Foroudi, Geert de Clercq, Farouq Suleiman, Andrei Khalip and Michael Hogan. Ingrid Melander writes. Edited by Alison Williams and Emelia Sithole-Matarise Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
