The wildfire death toll in southern Europe has risen to six, with four killed in Spain and two in Portugal as blazes continue to devastate the region. Spain has deployed 1,900 firefighters to battle the flames, following the recent death of a firefighter whose truck overturned on a steep hill in Castile and León.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed sadness and desolation and chaired an emergency meeting to coordinate efforts. Over 30,000 residents have been evacuated in Spain’s northwest and western regions, especially in Galicia and Caceres. So far this year, wildfires have scorched 3,48,000 hectares of Spanish land, according to preliminary data from Copernicus.
In neighbouring Portugal, where 216,000 hectares have burned, another firefighter died, with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa calling the loss tragic. Fires are also active in Greece, France, Turkey, and the Balkans amid a severe heatwave. Spain’s weather agency has issued warnings of very high to extreme fire danger, although the heatwave is beginning to ease.
Both Spain and Portugal have activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism to request emergency assistance. Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying these extreme weather events, increasing the threat of wildfires across the region.
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