The Backlash of Climate Change... Large Wildfires Turn Europe and North America to Ashes

On the 8th (local time), residents in the village of Gouves on Evia Island, the second largest island in Greece, are engaged in wildfire suppression efforts.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Large wildfires have been occurring one after another in Europe and North America, causing the scale of damage to grow uncontrollably.

The UK's Guardian reported on the 9th (local time) that "with high temperatures, dry climate, and strong winds combined, this is expected to be recorded as the worst wildfire in the past decade."

Scientists warned that the risk of fires worldwide has increased due to climate change caused by global warming.

Among European countries, Greece has suffered the most wildfire damage. Wildfires have continued for nearly two weeks, with dozens of victims requiring hospitalization.

On Evia, the second largest island in Greece, thousands of people abandoned their homes and evacuated as the wildfire risk increased.

The area burned over ten days until the 7th has already exceeded the damage scale of previous frequent fire periods, reaching 567㎢. The average area lost to wildfires from 2008 to 2020 was 17㎢.

In Turkey, flames along the southern coast continued for ten days, resulting in at least eight deaths. Vast pine forests and agricultural areas were burned, and tens of thousands of people evacuated their homes.

Italy's most affected areas are southern Sicily and Sardinia. From the 24th to the 26th of last month, the largest wildfire in history occurred, burning 100㎢ of forest. In Sardinia, 800 people were ordered to evacuate forcibly.

In Algeria, a wildfire broke out in the mountainous area east of the capital Algiers, killing four and injuring three. Firefighters and helicopters were deployed to suppress the fire, and evacuation orders were issued as the fire spread to some residential areas.

Russian Siberian authorities issued evacuation orders for several villages on the 8th as fires broke out in 155 areas, increasing the risk. High temperatures and failure to follow fire prevention rules caused damage, including destruction of houses and buildings.

The United States also experienced its largest wildfire in history. In northern California, efforts to suppress the "Dixie" fire, the largest wildfire in history, are facing difficulties.

This wildfire has consumed an area of 1,875㎢, twice the size of New York City. In the US, over 100 large wildfires are simultaneously spreading, making complete suppression difficult.

In Canada, although it rained over the weekend, wildfires in British Columbia continue unabated. There have been 279 wildfires in succession in this area alone, prompting evacuation warnings for tens of thousands of people.

Since spring, wildfires in this region have burned 5,800㎢, and concerns are growing as the wildfire risk period still has several months to go before it ends.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.