Countries across globe race to rein in wildfires
ATHENS: Wildfires continued to torment the Mediterranean as well as the western part of the US, as authorities in Greece, Turkey and California scrambled to protect their civilians and property from further damage.
Fire crews across Greece struggled amid a record heat wave to contain new blazes, including one near the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games - Olympia. Temperatures in parts of Greece reached 45 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, in what authorities describe as the worst heat wave since 1987. No deaths or severe injuries have been reported from any of the Greek wildfires.
In Turkey, firefighters were battling 16 wildfires across the country on Wednesday, including one near a coal-fired power station, with high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds fanning the flames.
In the past eight days, 167 fires have been brought under control, forestry minister Bekir Pakdemirli said.
Meanwhile, wildfires have already produced a record amount of carbon emissions in Russia’s Siberian region of Yaku
tia, with still more weeks of the fire season to come, according to the European Union’s Copernicus satellite monitoring unit.
California fire grows
California’s largest wildfire continued to grow on Wednesday as thousands of firefighters prepared for a tougher fight as dangerous weather returns.
A red flag warning was issued through Thursday because of hot, bone-dry conditions with winds up to 64kmph.
That could drive flames through timber, brush and grass, especially along the northern and northeastern sides of the vast Dixie Fire.