Six European countries have dispatched firefighters and other equipment to help curb wildfires in southwestern France after French President Emmanuel Macron activated the European Union’s (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism.
The European Commission revealed Germany and Sweden have sent four firefighting planes. Furthermore, Austria, Germany, Poland, and Romania will send 361 firefighters and 101 vehicles to help with the locals’ efforts. In fact, Germany has already sent 65 personnel to Bonn, while Italy, Greece, and Sweden are deploying water-bombing aircraft.
Macron said the assistance indicates that “European solidarity is at work,” noting that with the assistance of European partners, around 10,000 firefighters and security forces have now been mobilised to contain the wildfires.
L’Allemagne, la Grèce, la Pologne, et dans les prochaines heures la Roumanie et l’Autriche : nos partenaires viennent en aide à la France face aux incendies. Merci à eux. La solidarité européenne est à l’œuvre !
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 11, 2022
There are currently eight major wildfires in France. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, fires this year have consumed six times more forest land than the average from 2006 to 2021.
The most devasting is the Landiras fire in Gironde, which hosts a large number of tourists each year. By July, the fire had already destroyed 35,000 acres of forest land. While it had been largely contained, it reignited on Tuesday and burnt an additional 16,000 acres, causing the evacuation of 10,000. At least 17 homes in Gironde have been destroyed or damaged since Tuesday.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Mendousse of the Gironde fire and rescue service, nine firefighting planes are working to control the fire and two additional planes will be deployed over the weekend.
Partout sur le territoire, plus de 10 000 pompiers et personnels de la sécurité civile sont mobilisés contre les flammes. Avec courage et détermination, ils tiennent. Ces soldats du feu sont nos héros. pic.twitter.com/KMUzMEYuTL
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 11, 2022
Despite these efforts, the fire remained out of control till Thursday, prompting a visit to the region by both Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
Borne said that the “exceptional fires” had highlighted the need to “prepare for events that we know are also linked to climate change.” She stressed, “We must continue, more than ever, our fight against climate disruption and... adapt to this climate disruption.”
Temperatures are predicted to stay up at 40 degrees Celsius till Sunday, which the prefecture of the Gironde department said puts the Gironde region at a “very serious risk of new outbreaks.”
Droughts and fires are the most visible effects of climate change in Europe.
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) August 8, 2022
The water level of the Rhine River in 🇳🇱 Dutch territory is close to its lowest point.
With #EUGreenDeal, we are tackling the problem at its root.
Striking 🇪🇺🛰️images showing Rhine River 👇 pic.twitter.com/p9QQMCjZOy
In fact, there is a risk of the fires spreading to other areas of the country as well, given the continued drought and heatwave. Keeping this in mind, the government has “strongly” urged people to wear masks to protect themselves from the smoke. Authorities have also called on employers to allow volunteer firefighters to take leaves and help curb the fires.
These developments come against the backdrop of wildfires across several other European countries that have been instigated by record-high temperatures and droughts. It is estimated that at least 12,000 deaths in Europe this summer can be attributed to the fires and heatwave, given the drastic rise in excess deaths, particularly in Portugal, Spain, Germany, and the UK.
An ongoing wildfire in central Portugal has already destroyed over 25,000 acres of land; 1,500 personnel have been deployed to contain it. Meanwhile, local authorities have issued an extreme heat warning in the United Kingdom, with temperatures set to cross 37 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, Italian farmers have complained about losing 80% of their harvest due to fluctuating weather conditions.