EU nations help Sweden as wildfires rage above Arctic Circle
HELSINKI — Sweden is fighting its most serious wildfires in decades — including blazes above the Arctic Circle — prompting the government to seek help from the military, hundreds of volunteers and other European nations.
As of Friday, more than 50 blazes were torching forests, mostly in central and western Sweden but also in the north, above the Arctic Circle, and on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland.
No deaths or injuries had been reported, but large evacuations had taken place and thousands of people had been warned to remain inside with the windows shut. Finland and Norway have also reported wildfires in the past few days.
About 500 voluntary soldiers from the Swedish military were dispatched to help with Black Hawk helicopters in the central region of Alvdalen.
In some areas, emergency-rescue services have called for all able-bodied men to help put out the wildfires that have raged this week.
“This is a serious situation and the risk for forest fires is extremely high in the whole country,” said Jakob Wernerman, operative head of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency that is co-ordinating firefighting efforts.
The fires have come as Europe’s Nordic region has experienced an intense heat wave in the past week. Temperatures have reached over 32 degrees throughout Finland, Norway and Sweden. There has been substantial rain for weeks.