Fires

Los Angeles races to contain wildfires before severe winds return

Firefighters raced to contain the frontiers of two Los Angeles wildfires that burned for the sixth straight day on Sunday, taking advantage of a brief respite in hazardous conditions before…

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First major fire of year destroys 3,000 hectares in Spain

VILLANUEVA DE VIVER, Spain, (Reuters) - Spain's first major wildfire of the year raged in the eastern Valencia region on Friday, destroying more than 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest…

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EU plans to build firefighting fleet faster after summer of climate crises

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and its member states agreed on Monday to speed up plans to establish an EU fleet of firefighting aircraft, after rampaging wildfires across Europe…

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WATCH: Record temperatures scorch Europe, as wildfires rage across south

Britain was forecast to see temperatures hit 40C (104F) for the first time on Tuesday after logging its warmest night on record, while wildfires raged across parched countryside in France, Spain…

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EU to buy forest firefighting planes as climate crises intensify

The European Union is in talks with manufacturers to buy firefighting planes to battle the increased risk of severe wildfires like those raging in Southern Europe, the bloc's head of crisis management told…

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Firefighters scramble to put out flames in heatwave-hit Portugal, Spain

OURÉM, Portugal, (Reuters) - Several wildfires swept across Portugal's central region, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of locals as firefighters struggled to put out flames at a time the country is battling…

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Wildfire rages near Athens, threatens homes

ATHENS (Reuters) - A wildfire raged on the outskirts of Athens on Saturday, threatening homes and power lines, a fire brigade official said. Fanned by strong winds, the fire quickly…

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Wildfire rips through Algeria, killing 42 people including soldiers

Forest fires in Algeria killed 42 people on Tuesday, including 25 soldiers deployed to help put out the blaze, the government said, as thick clouds of smoke covered much of the mountainous…

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European Commission disburses €4 billion in pre-financing to Greece

The European Commission has today disbursed €4 billion to Greece in pre-financing, equivalent to 13% of the country's grant and loan allocation under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Greece…

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EU helps Italy, Greece, Albania and North Macedonia to fight ‘devastating’ forest fires

As forest fires continue affecting various regions in the Mediterranean and the Western Balkans, the European Commission is swiftly mobilising support to assist countries in limiting the spread of the…

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Fire sweeping through Southern California canyon forces residents to flee

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Two firefighters were injured and residents of a rustic Southern California canyon were driven from their homes after a blaze broke out overnight at a single-family home…

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Australia and Canada help California control fires

California firefighters have struggled to contain massive wildfires that left at least four people dead and turned neighborhoods into ash and smoldering ruins. About 119,000 people have evacuated the raging…

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Fires near Gare de Lyon train station in Paris

A large fire broke out Friday in southeastern Paris near the Gare de Lyon train station, according to a tweet from the Paris Police. BFM Television reported that the fire…

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All New South Wales fires ‘contained’

All of the bushfires in New South Wales (NSW) are now considered contained, say fire officials in the Australian state. The NSW Rural Fire Service said it was "great news"…

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Australian animals at ‘imminent risk of extinction’ after bush fires

More than 100 animal species in Australia could be lost forever without urgent intervention as a result of the bush fire crisis, a new report shows. A panel of experts…

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Australia suspends parliament to honour Black Summer’s bushfire victims

Australia suspended parliament on Tuesday to honour the victims of a national bushfire crisis that has killed 33 people, as more than 100 fires remained ablaze across the country's east…

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State of emergency declared as bushfire threatens Australian capital

Australian officials declared a state of emergency for the capital city of Canberra and surrounding regions on Friday, as soaring temperatures and strong winds threatened to propel a large bushfire…

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Heatwave and high winds bring renewed wildfire threat in Australia

Large swathes of southeast Australia were bracing on Thursday for a days-long heatwave that threatens to stoke bushfires that have been burning for months. As firefighters and residents prepared for…

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Heavy rains dampen fires in Australia’s Queensland state, cause flooding

Australia’s bushfire-stricken state of Queensland saw heavy rainfalls on Sunday dampening some of the fires that have razed 2.5 million hectares (1.2 million acres) of land since September, but the…

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Fatal crash for Australia air tanker fighting fires

An aircraft fighting bushfires in Australia lost contact with ground control after it crashed, officials said on Thursday, as soaring temperatures and strong winds fanned blazes in the country’s southeast…

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Photo Story: Stuffed Koalas in New York to Raise Money for Australian Animal Rescue

A stuffed koala bear is seen attached to a part of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, New York, USA. The stuffed bears have been placed around New York City…

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Australia’s bushfire-stricken east welcomes drenching rain

Intense thunderstorms with heavy rains dampened bushfires on Australia’s east coast on Friday and brought relief to farmers battling years of drought, but the city of Melbourne braced for another…

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Australia faces wait until March for rains to douse bushfires

Australia will have to wait until March for rains heavy enough to bring sustained relief from dry weather that has fuelled deadly bushfires, the country's weather bureau has said. Over…

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Australian tourism industry seeks urgent help as cost of bushfires grows

Australia’s peak tourism body estimated the country’s bushfire crisis has so far cost the industry almost A$1 billion ($690 million) and called for urgent help from the government to lure…

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Australian wildfire smoke stokes health fears

Fire alarms have been sounding in high-rise buildings across downtown Sydney and Melbourne as dense smoke from distant wildfires confuse electronic sensors. Modern government office blocks in the Australian…

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Australian Government pledges $50m for wildlife impacted by bushfires as koalas may become endangered

The Australian Federal Environment Minister is concerned koalas could now be endangered in some areas as the Government establishes a $50 million emergency fund to address the devastating loss of…

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Experts warn some species in Australia will go extinct due to fires

Two wildfires have merged to form a massive inferno in south-eastern Australia, as experts warned some species are likely already to be extinct. The “megafire” engulfing nearly 1.5 million acres in New…

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Death toll rises as another firefighter killed in Australian wildfires

Another firefighter lost his life while battling the Australian wildfire crisis, taking the death toll to 27 people since September. Bill Slade, 60, was killed by a falling tree on…

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Wildfire crisis closes several embassies in Australia

The wildfires devastating parts of Australia have forced the closure of a number of embassies in the capital Canberra, where state authorities issued an alert that a return to hot…

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Photo story: The fire activity in Australia

A handout photo made available by NASA Earth Observatory of a satellite image showing long, thin plumes of smoke from bushfires burning in Australia stretching across the Pacific Ocean, issued…

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Photo Story: The battle against the bushfires in south-eastern Australia

The NSW Rural Fire Service Large Air Tanker (LAT) drops fire retardant on the Morton Fire burning in bushland close to homes at Penrose in the NSW Southern Highlands, some…

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Photo Story: The fires ravaging Australia’s Kangaroo Island

Handout photos made available by NASA Earth Observatory of a satellite image showing burned land and thick smoke over Kangaroo Island, Australia, 09 January 20202 (issued 10 January 2020). According…

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Australians urged to flee as huge bushfires revive with fury

Australian authorities urged nearly a quarter of a million people to evacuate their homes on Friday and prepared military backup as soaring temperatures and erratic winds were expected to fan…

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New front in fight against Australian bushfires…fake news

Australia’s bushfire crisis has led to what appears to be a deliberate misinformation campaign started by climate-change deniers claiming arson is the primary cause of the ongoing fires, despite months…

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More than 1 billion animals killed by Australian wildfires

More than 1 billion animals are now thought to have been killed by the record-breaking wildfires in Australia, according to a prominent scientist whose new estimate is more than double…

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Photo Story: Australia’s Kangaroo island burn scars can be seen from space

A handout photo made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of a satellite image captured via NOAA-20, high resolution bands 4, 2, 1, showing roughly half of…

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Australia issues new evacuation alerts as monster bushfires regenerate

Australian authorities issued new warnings and evacuation notices across the country’s heavily populated southeast on Thursday as a return of hot weather fanned huge bushfires threatening several towns and communities.…

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Smoke from Australia bushfires drifts as far as South America

Smoke from wildfires in Australia is drifting across the Pacific to cities in South America, and may have reached the Antarctic, the UN World Meteorological Organisation has said. Smoke from…

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Storms bring relief but also new threat to Australian wildfires

Thunderstorms and showers brought some relief for firefighters battling deadly wildfires across Australia’s drought-parched east coast on Wednesday, but also raised concerns that lightning will spark more fires before dangerous…

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South Australia’s iconic Kangaroo Island could see rare species wiped out after devastating bushfires

Kangaroo Island is renowned for its native wildlife — the koalas are disease-free, the bees create the purest honey and it is home to one of Australia's rarest marsupials. But…

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Air quality in Melbourne plummets as smoke from fires shrouds Victorian cities in haze

The bushfire smoke blanketing Melbourne and much of Victoria is expected to persist for at least the first half of the week, and air pollution in the city is forecast…

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Photo story: Wildfires in Australia from space

A satellite photo made available by MAXAR Technologies shows wildfires east of Orbost, Australia, on the 04 January 2020. So far, the country's devastating bushfires caused the death of 24 persons.…

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Rain falls in Australia but warnings of huge blazes ahead

Rain is falling in Australia and temperatures have dropped - but officials warn that fires ravaging the country will "take off" again. Sooty rain fell down the east coast, from…

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Authorities warn Australian bushfires developing their own weather systems

The bushfires ravaging Australia are generating so much heat that they are creating their own weather systems including dry lightning storms and fire tornadoes. On Saturday, the New South Wales…

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3,000 army reservists are deployed in Australia as victims of fires increase

An extra 3,000 army reservists have been called up to help tackle Australia's bushfires with the situation expected to worsen over the weekend. Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the death…

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Photo story: Largest peacetime evacuation in Australia’s history of people affected by bushfires

Handout photos made available by the Australian Department of Defence shows evacuees from Mallacoota, Victoria State, being transported on a landing craft to Royal Australian Navy (RAN) MV Sycamore, at…

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Close to half a billion animals potentially killed in Australian fires

Close to half a billion animals in Australia’s New South Wales state may have been killed in wildfires since September -- and the number could climb. Research, led by the…

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Australian Navy rescues people endangered by fires

The Australian navy has begun evacuating people trapped in the fire-ravaged town of Mallacoota on the Victoria coast. Two ships, HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore, will pick up about…

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Smoke from Australian bushfires drifting as far away as New Zealand

Smoke from huge bushfires in Australia is drifting as far away as New Zealand, 2,000km (1,200 miles) away, leading to haze and a burnt smell in the air. Australia is…

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NSW declares week-long state of emergency because of bushfires

The premier of the Australian state of New South Wales has declared a week-long state of emergency in response to the escalating bushfire threat. High temperatures and strong winds are…

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Photo Story: Australia bids farewell to firefighter who died battling bushfires

A handout photo made available by the New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) shows NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons (L) during the funeral of NSW RFS firefighter Geoffrey…

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Race to flee ‘leave zone’ in Australia as fresh threat looms from bushfires

Thousands of people are fleeing a vast "tourist leave zone" in Australia amid forecasts of ferocious bushfire conditions in coming days. Since September, Australia's bushfire crisis has killed 18 people…

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Thousands of people trapped by bushfires ravaging Australia

Thousands of people were trapped as their small seaside town was threatened by one of the bushfires that have been ravaging parts of Australia. Around 4,000 people gathered at the…

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Australian cities cancelling fireworks display as fire danger worsens

New Year’s Eve fireworks in Australia’s capital city have been cancelled as the wildfire danger worsens in oppressive summer heat, and pressure was building Monday for Sydney’s iconic celebrations to…

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Some Australian in path of bushfires told it is too late to evacuate

Emergency warnings for bushfires have been issued across parts of Australia - with some locals being urged to take shelter indoors because it is now too late to evacuate. Officials…

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Satellite image of the fires in Australia’s southeastern states

A handout photo made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of a satellite image showing part of mainland Australia, where historic bushfires still rage in the southeastern…

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People urged to leave part of the Australian state of Victoria as fire conditions worsen

Residents and holidaymakers in part of the Australian state of Victoria were urged to leave on Sunday ahead of what is expected to be a day of extreme fire…

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