Wildfires rage in California, Spain and Greece

By Sharon Kimathi, Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital

Hello!

It’s here – August. The summer month. The month of packed travel bags and beach getaways as workers in the Northern Hemisphere pop on their automated ‘out of office’ notification to chase the summer sun. But what happens if the sun we’re seeking sizzles a little too much?

This week, rising global temperatures due to climate change have led to more frequent wildfires from California in the United States to Spain, Greece and the Balkans.

The largest wildfire in the U.S. swelled to over 600 square miles (1,550 square kms) on Tuesday night, bigger than the city of Los Angeles, fire officials in California said, as thousands of firefighters battled the blaze in a wilderness area north of Sacramento.

More than 5,500 firefighters from across California and other states were working around the clock to douse the Park Fire, burning in the state’s Central Valley, about 90 miles (145 km) north of Sacramento, the capital.

The fire grew to 386,764 acres (156,517 hectares), becoming the fifth largest wildfire in Californian history, officials said.

The Park Fire surpassed the size of the 2020 Creek Fire in Fresno County, which burned almost 380,000 acres (153,780 hectares), fire officials said. But it is still smaller than the state’s largest fire on record, the August Complex fire of 2020, which burned more than 1 million acres (404,685 hectares) in seven counties in northern California.

Also on my radar today:

Members of emergency services work to contain a wildfire in Shengjin, Albania. REUTERS/Florion Goga

In Europe, hundreds of firefighters backed up by water bomber aircraft sought to contain two wildfires that have raged since Tuesday in eastern Spain, and much of the rest of the country is on red alert for heat and fires.

A blaze in Benasau in the eastern region of Valencia forced emergency services to remove several hundred villagers from their homes as a precaution when it broke out in nearby hills.

Another blaze, in the inland province of Cuenca, has burnt through more than 1,500 hectares of vegetation since Tuesday. Both have been categorized as severe.

Weather service AEMET predicted maximum temperatures of 43-44 degrees Celsius (109.4-111.2°F) in parts of the country on Wednesday, which is expected to be the peak day of a heat wave, while the interior ministry warned of very high or extreme risk of wildfires across Spain.

This is the third heat wave in Spain over the last two weeks.

Wildfires fanned by strong winds raged in parts of Greece and the Balkans, burning forests and homes while forcing the evacuation of a resort town in Albania, local authorities said.

The region has seen above-average temperatures and dry conditions over the past month that have created ideal conditions for wildfires, scientists say.

In Croatia, firefighters contained a blaze near the coastal town of Tucepi, a local official told N1 TV.

Flames engulfed pine trees surrounding a hotel complex in the Albanian coastal town of Shengjin, where authorities evacuated residents.

The fire was still active after several days and helicopters were deployed to try and extinguish it, the Albanian army said in a statement.

Firefighters in North Macedonia fought a dozen wildfires fanned by heavy winds for a third day on Wednesday.

One fire was spreading in the municipality of Negrevo near the Bulgarian border and another around Kumanovo near Serbia, said Goran Stojanovski at North Macedonia’s center for crisis management.

“Because of the high temperatures, the vegetation is dry and the soil is very hot, which is making our work more difficult,” he said.

A drone view shows members of rescue teams crossing a temporary bridge after multiple landslides in the hills in the southern state of Kerala, India. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Steve Gwynne, research lead at global consultants GHD Advisory, shares his thoughts about wildfires and their impact on communities and health:

“Wildfires pose a serious threat to the safety and wellbeing of communities, ecosystems and economies. 

“The impact spreads far beyond those directly involved with the fire, with fire brands and smoke potentially traveling hundreds of miles.

“Governments, businesses, civil and community groups are challenged with ensuring life and property safety and preparing for potential evacuations during complex wildfire events. 

“Communities face increased risks to life and property given changing environmental conditions, with more people living in the wildland urban interface, and changing demographics. 

“The escalating wildfire threat requires action at multiple levels: from individuals, communities and regional actors to incorporate sustainable practices that will last, and foster resilience that can aid in preventing, mitigating and adapting to wildfires.

“Actor engagement and assessment will be required during planning, prevention, response and recovery to ensure emergency procedures have community buy-in, tested and applied. 

“This demands a shift in thinking and approach, integrating comprehensive strategies for wildfire management all the while being sensitive to environmental and social factors. 

“It also demands an assessment of the fire scenario and the community response – to establish community vulnerability to the threat posed. 

“It’s clear that no single approach or entity can tackle this problem alone – there is no technological silver bullet.

“However, means of assessing the effectiveness of different emergency plans (e.g. community evacuation) given the fire scenarios faced provide evidence to support emergency and planning decision-making.”

Wildfires spewing smoke across much of the southwest United States are denting solar power output in the country’s largest solar producer just as power demand peaks due to heavy use of air conditioners during summer.

Through the first half of 2024, solar power generation in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) network was 28% above the same period in 2023 following extensive solar capacity expansions in the state within the past year.

Click here for the full comment piece by Reuters global energy transition columnist Gavin Maguire. 

An industrial harvester cuts a new rice variety at a rice paddy in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast June 3, 2024. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

Today’s spotlight turns its attention to climate adaptation in farming as an Ivorian rice farmer discovers a more weather-resistant grain.

Francois Kasse Yao struggled to make ends meet with only one harvest per year before he planted a new variety, resistant to unpredictable weather conditions capable of producing larger yields.

The grain, introduced as a part of a programme designed to increase output of the regional staple food and cut dependence on imports, allows rice growers to get two harvests per year, with a yield of up to 5 metric tons per hectare.

A farmer from another village, Hermane N’Guessan Kouame, praised the new variety’s scent and flavor as well as its capacity to resist frequent water shortages – the qualities that make the grain highly prized on the local rice market.

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