Latest news with #LoretteGargaud
Sharjah 24
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Sharjah 24
Wildfires spread across Europe
Turkey's ongoing battle In Turkey, firefighters have been battling over 600 fires in drought-affected areas over the past week. Tragically, a forestry worker injured while fighting flames in Izmir province succumbed to his injuries. The fire, located about 100 kilometers east of Izmir, has already claimed the lives of an 81-year-old bedridden man and a 39-year-old forestry worker. Although the blaze was brought under control on Friday, firefighters continued to combat a fire in Dortyol, near the Syrian border, exacerbated by strong winds. France faces new fires In France, the severe heatwave that began on June 19 officially ended on Friday, lasting 16 days—matching the length of the deadly 2003 heatwave. However, on the same day, major fires ignited in southern regions, prompting authorities to shut down sections of the A9 motorway during the busy summer holiday weekend. Motorists faced traffic jams extending up to 10 kilometers, with water distributed to those stranded in the extreme heat. Evacuations and public fear In Mireval, near Montpellier, a fire fueled by swirling winds led to the evacuation of about 10 residents. Local resident Lorette Gargaud described the terrifying conditions, with thick smoke and falling ashes making the air nearly unbreathable. Greece's arrest and high alert In Greece, a 52-year-old man was arrested on the island of Evia, accused of starting a fire while clearing brush. Greek firefighters remain on high alert due to high temperatures and strong winds, as the region continues to face significant fire risks.
Local France
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Local France
Fire in France's Hérault "under control" but on red alert for further outbreaks
"The fire has been under control since last night around 1:00 a.m," Lieutenant Colonel Jérôme Bonnafoux of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service told AFP by telephone. "200 firefighters are on site to deal with critical areas and edges," he added, specifying that "firefighters will remain on watch all day." Despite the lifting of the orange heatwave alert, part of Hérault and the entire Bouches-du-Rhône department were placed on red alert for forest fires on Sunday. The Var and Aude departments would also be on red alert from Monday, with access to forest areas prohibited. Large fires broke out Saturday in the departments of Hérault, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Aude, where an orange heatwave alert ( vigilance orange ), which has been in effect since June 27, was lifted Sunday morning by French weather service Météo-France. In Hérault, the fire that started early Saturday afternoon in the Gardiole massif, located between Montpellier and Sète, closed the A9 motorway for five hours, causing major traffic jams in the middle of a busy holiday weekend. Traffic jams reached up to 10 kilometres in each direction on the motorway, with water being distributed to the numerous motorists stranded under the blazing sun. READ ALSO: PODCAST: From strikes to extreme heat - what to expect in France this summer Further east, in Bouches-du-Rhône, a fire on the tourist-heavy Côte Bleue, about fifteen kilometres northwest of Marseille, was "contained" Saturday morning after spreading across about a hundred hectares of forest. Advertisement In Mireval, near the southern city of Montpellier, a blaze fanned by swirling winds led firefighters to evacuate about 10 people. "It was very frightening, especially between 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) and 6:30 pm. The air was unbearable to breathe, there was a lot of smoke in the village, you couldn't see anything anymore and large ashes were falling from the sky," said 46-year-old resident Lorette Gargaud. In the Aude department, a week after the first major fire there, a new blaze, sparked by a car fire on the A61 motorway, had swept through 400 hectares of vegetation by the end of the day. Three hundred firefighters and significant aerial resources were deployed to help extinguish the fire. READ ALSO: How hot will it get in France this summer Meteo-France said on Saturday the punishing heatwave that began on June 19 had officially ended on Friday, lasting in all 16 days – the same length as the country's deadly 2003 heatwave.
Korea Herald
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Wildfires spread across Europe
ISTANBUL (AFP) -- Several wildfires broke out on Saturday across European countries including Greece, Turkey and France, whose southern regions are battling multiple fires following a prolonged heat wave. In Turkey, where firefighters have battled more than 600 fires in the drought-hit nation, authorities said a forestry worker injured while fighting the flames in the province of Izmir had died of his injuries. The blaze, about 100 kilometers east of the coastal resort of Izmir, had already claimed the lives of an 81-year-old bedridden man and a 39-year-old forestry worker on Thursday. The fire was brought under control on Friday evening, along with six other forest fires mainly in western and central Turkey, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on X. But firefighters on Saturday were still battling a fire in the southern coastal area of Dortyol, near the Syrian border. Turkey has largely escaped the recent heatwaves that swept southern Europe, but strong winds have intensified the forest fires. French weather service Meteo-France said on Saturday the punishing heatwave that began on June 19 had officially ended on Friday, lasting a total of 16 days -- the same length as the country's deadly 2003 heatwave. That same day, however, the first major fires of the season broke out in the south, as well as in the Bouches-du-Rhone and Herault departments, leading authorities to shut down portions of a key motorway during the first weekend of the summer holiday season. Traffic jams reached up to 10 km in each direction on the A9 motorway, with water being distributed to the numerous motorists stranded under the blazing sun. In Mireval, near the southern city of Montpellier, a blaze fanned by swirling winds led firefighters to evacuate about 10 people. "It was very frightening, especially between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The air was unbearable to breathe, there was a lot of smoke in the village, you couldn't see anything anymore and large pieces of ash were falling from the sky," said 46-year-old resident Lorette Gargaud. In Greece, a 52-year-old man was arrested on the island of Evia, accused of starting the fire that devastated part of the island between Friday evening and Saturday morning. The man was allegedly clearing brush from a plot of land when the fire broke out and quickly got out of control, public broadcaster ERT reported. Greek firefighters remained on high alert on Saturday due to high temperatures and strong winds across the country.
