Spain asks for EU help in fighting wildfires, third victim is claimed and more news on Thursday August 14th.
Spain asks for EU help in fighting wildfires: interior ministry
The Spanish government said it has asked the European Union for its help in fighting several wildfires across the country, in particular two water-bombing planes.
“We officially asked tonight” for the assistance, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told broadcaster radio Cadena Ser, after regional authorities said almost 6,000 people from 26 localities had been evacuated from their homes.
Spanish wildfires claim third victim
Wildfires have now killed a total of three people in Spain. The latest victim was a 36-year-old man who was injured while helping with the firefighting efforts in the province of León. The man had to be transferred to the Valladolid Burns Unit due to the severity of his injuries, but unfortunately he was unable to be saved.
“Today, we mourn a new death of a person who was part of the firefighting operation in the province of Leon, more specifically in the Valdería region,” Nicanor Sen Vélez, prefect for Castilla y León, wrote on X.
This is the second wildfire death in the province of León, along with one in the Tres Cantos fire in the Madrid region, which brings the total death toll to three.
The fires have burned through around 50,000 hectares in four provinces including Ourense in Galicia, León and Zamora in Castilla y León and Cáceres in Extremadura, and are spreading out of control. Approximately 9,000 people have been evacuated from their villages.
Around twenty people have been injured in the blazes, four of whom are in critical condition.
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Spain spends below European average for wildfire prevention
The wave of wildfires sweeping its way through Spain has raised serious questions about the amount the country spends on fire prevention.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Spain spends below the European average, with 0.4 percent of its public spending dedicated to fire prevention, the same level as Italy, Belgium, Sweden, and Hungary, but below the 0.5 percent spent by France, Poland, Norway, and Luxembourg, and the 0.6 percent spent by Germany, Greece, Estonia, and the Czech Republic.
The National Association of Forestry Companies (ASEMFO) warned this week that total investment in fire prevention, by both central and regional governments, plummeted by 51 percent between 2009 and 2022 (the year from which the latest figures are available). The year 2022 was in fact the worst year for the amount of hectares burnt so far this century.
Investment has barely changed, despite the fact that extreme temperatures and drought have triggered many more forest fires in recent years. So far this year, wildfires have reached record levels, already exceeding the average for the last 19 years, according to the EFFIS.
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Ryanair welcomes disruptive passenger conviction after Spanish flight
Budget airline Ryanair has welcomed the Edinburgh Sheriff Court’s decision to convict a rebellious passenger who upset many passengers onboard flight RK5593 from Edinburgh to the Canary Island of Lanzarote on 5th July 2024.
Shortly after take-off the man began smoking, consuming his own alcohol, and verbally abusing other passengers. He was one of three disruptive passengers whose behaviour forced the flight to return to Edinburgh, disrupting holiday plans for 178 travellers onboard and the work schedules of 6 crew members.
The court issued the passenger with a Community Payback Order and sentenced him to 225 hours of community service.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “This demonstrates just one of the many consequences that passengers who disrupt flights will face as part of Ryanair’s zero tolerance policy, and we hope this action will further deter disruptive behaviour on flights so that passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment”.
With additional reporting from AFP.
