Latest news with #GlobalWildfireInformationSystem
Metro
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Metro
Map reveals where wildfires are spreading across Europe ahead of summer holidays
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Hot summer weather is spreading wildfires across Europe after a blaze reached France's second-largest city and left 110 injured. Marseille's mayor lifted a confinement order for tens of thousands of people, announcing the brutal fire was in 'regression'. The blaze grounded all flights to and from Marseille and halted train traffic in most of the surrounding area on Tuesday. More than 1,000 firefighters were deployed to tackle the fire, which broke out near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau before racing towards Marseille. It came on a cloudless, windy day after a lengthy heat wave around Europe left the area parched and at heightened risk for wildfires. And it's not just France being affected by the sweltering heat – the Global Wildfire Information System has shown many other European countries are at risk. The wildfire in France forced Marseille Airport to close yesterday. The airport is open today, but flights are still affected. British Airways, Ryanair, Air France and easyJet, which have a strong presence at the airport, were hit with widespread cancellations and delays. Wildfires have broken out in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Serbia, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and across the rest of Europe. In Greece, authorities closed the Acropolis for several hours on Tuesday over high temperatures and the risk of wildfires as temperatures exceeded 40C. Yesterday in Spain, authorities forced residents to stay in their homes while firefighters tried to bring a blaze under control, but wind gusts of up to 55mph have halted efforts. According to the EU science hub, 213,993 hectares of land in the European Union have burned in wildfires since the beginning of this year. More Trending Destructive wildfires have already caused havoc in the Mediterranean this summer. More than 1,500 people were evacuated from their homes and hotels on the Greek island of Crete last week. Evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island's south coast while 230 firefighters battled the flames. Elsewhere in Europe, extreme heat has been deadly. A ten-year-old American girl collapsed and died during a visit to the Palace of Versailles in France last week. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Mother screamed 'my boy, my boy' after fire ripped through block of flats MORE: Wildfire 'at gates of Marseille' blocks out the sun and injures 110 people MORE: How the €1 European house scheme actually works
North Wales Chronicle
30-06-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Firefighters urge Government to tax polluters to fund struggling services
The union, which represents more than 30,000 fire responders in the UK, has joined the Polluters Pay Pact – a Greenpeace initiative that brings together climate-hit communities, concerned citizens, first responders and political leaders. The pact urges governments around the world to make high-emitting firms pay their fair share for the climate damage caused. In the UK, the Energy Profits Levy was implemented in May 2022 in response to skyrocketing profits made by oil and gas firms amid a sharp rise in energy prices. After being increased in the most recent UK Government budget, oil and gas producers are currently paying a headline tax rate of 78%. The levy will end when prices fall to or below a set price floor, or in March 2030. However, the Fire Brigades Union warned that a decade of funding cuts has left the fire and rescue service fragmented, overstretched and chronically underfunded. According to the union's analysis of official figures, the service has lost one in five firefighting posts since 2010 – equivalent to 12,000 full-time roles – while 82 fire stations and 17 control rooms have been closed. It comes as the number of incidents fire services responds to has risen by 20% since 2014, according to a separate National Fire Chiefs Council analysis of Government data. The analysis also found response times are now the slowest on record, with the time it takes for a first appliance to reach a fire having risen by three minutes since the 1990s. Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: 'While oil and gas giants profit from pollution, firefighters are left to deal with the sharp end of the climate crisis – and all too often without the resources they need to protect lives. 'It's frontline workers and vulnerable communities paying the price. 'Governments must get serious: make polluters pay, fund public services, and back a transition to clean, green energy. 'The UK and global leaders must be braver and bolder in holding polluters to account, starting with signing up to the principles set out in the Polluters Pay Pact.' In July 2022, during a record heatwave, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported its busiest day since the Second World War, but dozens of fire engines sat idle because there were not enough firefighters to crew them. And in April this year, the Global Wildfire Information System found that wildfires in the UK had burnt an area larger than the overall annual record for the last decade, while drought has been declared for the North West and Yorkshire. Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Maja Darlington said: 'As more heatwaves, wildfires and floods hit the UK and countries around the world, we need well-funded, well-staffed emergency services to protect homes, businesses and lives. 'And if ministers are looking for revenue, they must tax the massive profits Big Oil is still making from cranking up the planet's thermostat and devastating the lives of millions.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'The Energy Profits Levy already ensures the oil and gas sector contributes towards our energy transition while taking a responsible approach to tax which recognises the role the sector will have in the energy mix for decades to come.'
South Wales Guardian
30-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Firefighters urge Government to tax polluters to fund struggling services
The union, which represents more than 30,000 fire responders in the UK, has joined the Polluters Pay Pact – a Greenpeace initiative that brings together climate-hit communities, concerned citizens, first responders and political leaders. The pact urges governments around the world to make high-emitting firms pay their fair share for the climate damage caused. In the UK, the Energy Profits Levy was implemented in May 2022 in response to skyrocketing profits made by oil and gas firms amid a sharp rise in energy prices. After being increased in the most recent UK Government budget, oil and gas producers are currently paying a headline tax rate of 78%. The levy will end when prices fall to or below a set price floor, or in March 2030. However, the Fire Brigades Union warned that a decade of funding cuts has left the fire and rescue service fragmented, overstretched and chronically underfunded. According to the union's analysis of official figures, the service has lost one in five firefighting posts since 2010 – equivalent to 12,000 full-time roles – while 82 fire stations and 17 control rooms have been closed. It comes as the number of incidents fire services responds to has risen by 20% since 2014, according to a separate National Fire Chiefs Council analysis of Government data. The analysis also found response times are now the slowest on record, with the time it takes for a first appliance to reach a fire having risen by three minutes since the 1990s. Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: 'While oil and gas giants profit from pollution, firefighters are left to deal with the sharp end of the climate crisis – and all too often without the resources they need to protect lives. 'It's frontline workers and vulnerable communities paying the price. 'Governments must get serious: make polluters pay, fund public services, and back a transition to clean, green energy. 'The UK and global leaders must be braver and bolder in holding polluters to account, starting with signing up to the principles set out in the Polluters Pay Pact.' In July 2022, during a record heatwave, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported its busiest day since the Second World War, but dozens of fire engines sat idle because there were not enough firefighters to crew them. And in April this year, the Global Wildfire Information System found that wildfires in the UK had burnt an area larger than the overall annual record for the last decade, while drought has been declared for the North West and Yorkshire. Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Maja Darlington said: 'As more heatwaves, wildfires and floods hit the UK and countries around the world, we need well-funded, well-staffed emergency services to protect homes, businesses and lives. 'And if ministers are looking for revenue, they must tax the massive profits Big Oil is still making from cranking up the planet's thermostat and devastating the lives of millions.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'The Energy Profits Levy already ensures the oil and gas sector contributes towards our energy transition while taking a responsible approach to tax which recognises the role the sector will have in the energy mix for decades to come.'
Rhyl Journal
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Firefighters urge Government to tax polluters to fund struggling services
The union, which represents more than 30,000 fire responders in the UK, has joined the Polluters Pay Pact – a Greenpeace initiative that brings together climate-hit communities, concerned citizens, first responders and political leaders. The pact urges governments around the world to make high-emitting firms pay their fair share for the climate damage caused. In the UK, the Energy Profits Levy was implemented in May 2022 in response to skyrocketing profits made by oil and gas firms amid a sharp rise in energy prices. After being increased in the most recent UK Government budget, oil and gas producers are currently paying a headline tax rate of 78%. The levy will end when prices fall to or below a set price floor, or in March 2030. However, the Fire Brigades Union warned that a decade of funding cuts has left the fire and rescue service fragmented, overstretched and chronically underfunded. According to the union's analysis of official figures, the service has lost one in five firefighting posts since 2010 – equivalent to 12,000 full-time roles – while 82 fire stations and 17 control rooms have been closed. It comes as the number of incidents fire services responds to has risen by 20% since 2014, according to a separate National Fire Chiefs Council analysis of Government data. The analysis also found response times are now the slowest on record, with the time it takes for a first appliance to reach a fire having risen by three minutes since the 1990s. Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: 'While oil and gas giants profit from pollution, firefighters are left to deal with the sharp end of the climate crisis – and all too often without the resources they need to protect lives. 'It's frontline workers and vulnerable communities paying the price. 'Governments must get serious: make polluters pay, fund public services, and back a transition to clean, green energy. 'The UK and global leaders must be braver and bolder in holding polluters to account, starting with signing up to the principles set out in the Polluters Pay Pact.' In July 2022, during a record heatwave, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported its busiest day since the Second World War, but dozens of fire engines sat idle because there were not enough firefighters to crew them. And in April this year, the Global Wildfire Information System found that wildfires in the UK had burnt an area larger than the overall annual record for the last decade, while drought has been declared for the North West and Yorkshire. Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Maja Darlington said: 'As more heatwaves, wildfires and floods hit the UK and countries around the world, we need well-funded, well-staffed emergency services to protect homes, businesses and lives. 'And if ministers are looking for revenue, they must tax the massive profits Big Oil is still making from cranking up the planet's thermostat and devastating the lives of millions.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'The Energy Profits Levy already ensures the oil and gas sector contributes towards our energy transition while taking a responsible approach to tax which recognises the role the sector will have in the energy mix for decades to come.'
Leader Live
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Firefighters urge Government to tax polluters to fund struggling services
The union, which represents more than 30,000 fire responders in the UK, has joined the Polluters Pay Pact – a Greenpeace initiative that brings together climate-hit communities, concerned citizens, first responders and political leaders. The pact urges governments around the world to make high-emitting firms pay their fair share for the climate damage caused. In the UK, the Energy Profits Levy was implemented in May 2022 in response to skyrocketing profits made by oil and gas firms amid a sharp rise in energy prices. After being increased in the most recent UK Government budget, oil and gas producers are currently paying a headline tax rate of 78%. The levy will end when prices fall to or below a set price floor, or in March 2030. However, the Fire Brigades Union warned that a decade of funding cuts has left the fire and rescue service fragmented, overstretched and chronically underfunded. According to the union's analysis of official figures, the service has lost one in five firefighting posts since 2010 – equivalent to 12,000 full-time roles – while 82 fire stations and 17 control rooms have been closed. It comes as the number of incidents fire services responds to has risen by 20% since 2014, according to a separate National Fire Chiefs Council analysis of Government data. The analysis also found response times are now the slowest on record, with the time it takes for a first appliance to reach a fire having risen by three minutes since the 1990s. Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: 'While oil and gas giants profit from pollution, firefighters are left to deal with the sharp end of the climate crisis – and all too often without the resources they need to protect lives. 'It's frontline workers and vulnerable communities paying the price. 'Governments must get serious: make polluters pay, fund public services, and back a transition to clean, green energy. 'The UK and global leaders must be braver and bolder in holding polluters to account, starting with signing up to the principles set out in the Polluters Pay Pact.' In July 2022, during a record heatwave, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported its busiest day since the Second World War, but dozens of fire engines sat idle because there were not enough firefighters to crew them. And in April this year, the Global Wildfire Information System found that wildfires in the UK had burnt an area larger than the overall annual record for the last decade, while drought has been declared for the North West and Yorkshire. Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Maja Darlington said: 'As more heatwaves, wildfires and floods hit the UK and countries around the world, we need well-funded, well-staffed emergency services to protect homes, businesses and lives. 'And if ministers are looking for revenue, they must tax the massive profits Big Oil is still making from cranking up the planet's thermostat and devastating the lives of millions.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'The Energy Profits Levy already ensures the oil and gas sector contributes towards our energy transition while taking a responsible approach to tax which recognises the role the sector will have in the energy mix for decades to come.'
