EU Warns of Increasing Wildfire Threat in Italy, Greece, and Central Europe
Escalating Wildfire Risks Across Europe
By Kate Abnett
Current Wildfire Situation and Immediate Outlook
BRUSSELS, July 29 (Reuters) - Greece, Italy and Central Europe are set to face heightened wildfire risk in the coming weeks, threatening further disasters even as wildfires continue to blaze in Spain and France, the head of the EU's emergency response centre said on Wednesday.
Maria Zuber, head of the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre, said the ongoing heatwave meant the next few days would be "very difficult" in France, but that other countries should also prepare for imminent potential disasters.
Shifting Threats: Countries at Risk
"The next risk, it's already moving to Greece and also Central Europe," Zuber told reporters on Wednesday.
"Greece for the moment was spared, and now we see that it will go to Greece. Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if (it is) there as well, we will have all Europe on fire," she said.
Factors Contributing to Wildfire Spread
The forecast reflects weather conditions that help fires ignite and spread rapidly, such as high temperatures, dry air, wind and a lack of rain.
Role of Climate Change
Climate change is intensifying the hot, dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread faster and burn longer.
Impact and Response Efforts
Record Wildfire Seasons
Europe suffered its worst wildfire season on record last year, with more than a million hectares of land burned. Zuber said Europe's fire situation this year so far was similar.
Potential for Another Record Year
"We have the potential that this is another record," she said.
EU Emergency Response Measures
The EU centre coordinates the deployment of aircraft and firefighters to countries that request emergency support, drawing on resources pooled by European countries and rented by the EU. It has sent seven planes and four helicopters to France, and six planes and three ground forest firefighting teams to Spain.
Preparedness and Resource Allocation
Not all planes in the EU fleet are currently occupied, and some are pre-stationed in eastern and central Europe as the risk there rises, Zuber said.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Alison Williams)
