About: forest fires
Portugal on high alert as firefighters battle blaze
Portugal will go on high alert as more than 850 firefighters struggle to put out a fire sweeping across part of the country's central region on Sunday (26 July), with strong winds and high temperatures complicating efforts to tackle the blaze.
French researchers forecast more intensified global warming
According to new forecasts, the target laid out in the Paris Climate Agreement of 1.5 degrees Celsius could be out of reach, while temperature increases might even reach 6 or 7°C by 2100. EURACTIV France reports.
Forest protection likely to be new priority for EU Parliament
Large areas of forest are being cleared worldwide for the agricultural industry. Although the EU requires its contracting partners to protect the environment, it lacks the means for enforcement. Environmentalists and the European Parliament see an urgent need for action. EURACTIV Germany reports.
U-turn: Bolsonaro open to foreign aid to fight Amazon fires
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is willing to accept foreign aid for fighting fires devastating the Amazon rainforest, but only if the country controls the funds, his spokesman said Tuesday (27 August).
This summer has been catastrophic for the world’s forests
The world's largest forests, which include those in the Amazon, Equatorial and Siberian regions, have suffered from severe forest fires this summer. These forests play a key role in protecting the climate, as they are crucial for terrestrial carbon sequestration. EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'environnement reports.
G7 agrees on €18 million plan for forest fires but Brazil refuses aid
On Monday (26 August), the second day of the G7 meeting in Biarritz, France, climate protection was on the agenda. Even though states agreed on a plan to tackle forest fires in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil rejected foreign aid. EURACTIV Germany reports
As Amazon burns, Brazil’s Bolsonaro tells rest of world not to interfere
Amid growing international criticism over the wildfires raging through the Amazon, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday (22 August) admitted farmers could be illegally setting the rainforest ablaze but told foreign powers not to interfere.
‘rescEU’: A European fleet to fight forest fires
More than 200 people were killed in forest fires across Europe in 2017 while more than 100 perished in flames last summer. This year, a new EU-backed fleet of fire-fighting planes is getting ready to prevent further disasters.
Greece in mourning as horrifying wildfires kill at least 74
Greece was in mourning on Tuesday (24 July) following some of the worst wildfires this century, with fears the toll -- at least 74 dead and 187 injured so far -- could rise, as rescuers search for people trapped in their homes or burned-out cars.
Greece seeks help from EU allies to tackle raging fires
Greece has appealed for help from other countries to help tackle a spate of fires which were raging uncontrolled in the country on Monday (23 July), its fire brigade said.
EU’s hero firefighters head north to fight blazes
The European Union has successfully coordinated a mass effort to fight the wildfires raging in the Arctic Circle, dispatching planes and firefighters in what has been dubbed "solidarity in action".
Ecosystem services of EU forests
Forests cover 40% of Europe’s territory and provide a multitude of ecosystem services that contribute to the health of the environment and human wellbeing.
Juncker to re-organise civil protection assistance after Portugal’s fires
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Monday (30 October) that the EU was mulling "re-organising" the civil protection assistance in Europe following the deadly forest fires in Portugal.
Forest fires hit five-year record in Spain
Fires in Spain burnt 75,026 hectares of forest land in the current year, topping European charts for loss of land to fires. EURACTIV's partner EFEAgro reports.
France’s Hulot calls for ‘European civil protection force’ to counter forest fires
Europe needs a “civil security force” to tackle wildfires, French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot said during a visit to the Corsican town of Palneca on Thursday (17 August), after 170 hectares of the island went up in smoke earlier this month. EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France reports.
Wildfires trap 2,000 villagers in Portugal
Forest fires cut off a village of 2,000 people in Portugal, as firefighters struggled on Thursday (17 August) to control two major blazes in the centre of the country, local officials said.
Greece seeks EU help as wildfires rage
Firefighters battled wildfires raging northeast of Athens for a third day yesterday (15 August) as Greece asked for help from its European partners to prevent them from spreading.
Raging Portugal forest fires kill dozens
Raging forest fires in central Portugal have killed at least 61 people, many burnt to death in their cars, the government said on Sunday (18 June), in the country's worst such disaster in recent history.
Climate change to hit Mediterranean with more forest fires
Climate change means the risk of forest fires will skyrocket in Mediterranean Europe in the coming decades, according to a new study. Existing fire prevention measures will be inadequate, so a change of strategy will be needed. EURACTIV Spain reports.
EU firefighters hailed as heroes in Chile
Chile has thanked 180 firefighters from Spain, France and Portugal for their help in tackling fires that have swept across the South American country, after an EU scheme allowed their assistance to be requested by Santiago. Euractiv Spain reports.
Financiers fanning the flames of Indonesia’s forest fires
After the COP21 talks in Paris, many eyes are again focusing on the role that companies and financiers can play in reducing climate change, writes Anne van Schaik.
Budget cuts leave Spanish fire crews high and dry
Austerity measures imposed by Spain’s central and regional governments have left fire brigades short-handed as they battle some of the worst forest fires in years, according to a conservationist and news reports from the parched country.