2018 Wildfires

[waltky]

Lapland confronts wildfires...

Everyone’s a firefighter as Lapland confronts wildfires
Jul 31, 2018 - Until this month, nobody would have imagined that the bucolic Lapland town of Jokkmokk could be home to one of the world’s busiest fire brigades.

Nestled beside a bank of pink willowherb and the start line of the Arctic 220km ski marathon, the fire station normally has just three full-time employees and a team of volunteers. During the dark, freezing winters, that is enough hands to deal with the usual electric fires and traffic accidents. During the 24-hour sunlight of the summer, they can usually manage with the aftermath of lightning strikes and barbecue accidents. However, after two freakishly hot, dry months in Sweden and much of the Arctic and Europe, this station has found itself alarmingly overstretched. In just 12 days, the firefighters have had to tackle eight wildfires, the biggest of which tore across an area of boreal forest the size of 900 soccer pitches and sent smoke billowing through the Lule valley.

To cope, they have called in reinforcements from neighboring regions, army personnel, home guard members and volunteers from the small local community, including refugees. They have hired helicopters, bulldozers and excavators. On some days, the team has swollen to 130 members. “We have forest fires every year, but never so many big ones in such a short time,” said Acting Fire Station Chief Gunnar Lundstrom, who went 43 hours without sleep during the peak period of the recent blazes. Earlier in the day, he surveyed the damage from a helicopter. “Look at the fire line,” he said, showing one mobile phone image of green forest meeting black and brown canopies. He then flicked over to another on the ground. “See? The streams have dried up,” Lundstrom said.

Soon after he returned to the station, he was called off to another fire. It was almost midnight when he sat back in the canteen to explain the weather conditions that have turned this region into a tinderbox. “It’s an extraordinary summer. We’ve hardly had rain in two months and it’s been very hot. We never used to get temperatures above 30°C,” he said. It has been a similar story across much of the world this summer, as temperature records are broken in North Africa, California and Georgia, droughts threaten the UK and Europe, and deadly heatwaves have killed hundreds of people in Greece and Japan. The Arctic Circle and surrounding northern climes might once have been considered a refuge, but global warming is more pronounced in these regions than elsewhere. Satellites have recently tracked massive fires in Siberia that have sent clouds of smoke across the north pole to Greenland and Canada.

Norwegian authorities have reported three times more wildfires already than are normal in an entire year. Sweden has been hit by more than 60 forest fires this month, forcing the evacuations of three communities, disrupting train services and prompting appeals for help under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. France has dispatched soldiers, Italy sent water bombing aircraft, while Denmark, Norway and Estonia also provided firefighters and equipment. Most of the fires are in south and central Sweden, but even Lapland in the north has suffered. Overextended fire services have relied on local communities for help near the frontline. Among Jokkmokk’s population of 3,100, this has meant teachers, students, holidaymakers and asylum seekers taking up hoses to douse down the forest near the fires.

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[longknife]

There's a vast area of eastern Russian on fire.

 

[miketx]

Funny thing about Silly Billy's stinky 'facts' that he pulls from his ass, they really stink after he posts them.

https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43965633/PDF

Fortier (5) shows, in the measurement of losses from water surfaces kept at different temperature, that reducing the temperature from 88° to 80.4o F. lessened evaporation 20 per cent; reducing it to 73.5o decreased evaporation 40 per cent; to 61.3° decreased it to 67 per cent; and to 53.4o reduced it to 85 per cent

Increased temperatures, such as we are seeing right now, increase the evaporation of the soil, and the transpiration of the plants, leaving the plants with far less moisture in them, and much more susceptible to fire. And that is exactly what we are seeing throughout the West.

Temperature is about 15 below average here. Troll.

 

[skookerasbil]

Funny thing about Silly Billy's stinky 'facts' that he pulls from his ass, they really stink after he posts them.

https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43965633/PDF

Fortier (5) shows, in the measurement of losses from water surfaces kept at different temperature, that reducing the temperature from 88° to 80.4o F. lessened evaporation 20 per cent; reducing it to 73.5o decreased evaporation 40 per cent; to 61.3° decreased it to 67 per cent; and to 53.4o reduced it to 85 per cent

Increased temperatures, such as we are seeing right now, increase the evaporation of the soil, and the transpiration of the plants, leaving the plants with far less moisture in them, and much more susceptible to fire. And that is exactly what we are seeing throughout the West.

Temperature is about 15 below average here. Troll.

80 degrees almost every day of summer here in NY....for several summers now. Very bizarre. Whole northeast cold and shit in recent years....zero global warming concerns.

 

[polarbear]

There's a vast area of eastern Russian on fire.

Forest fires in Russia
More than 300,000 acres have burned in recent days after a record heat wave and severe drought.
That amounts to ~469 square miles. If that is "vast" then you will run out of superlatives for the other (almost) 3 million square miles of Russian forest which is not on fire.

 

[Billy_Bob]

I wonder when the left will find out a cooling world is one with drought... Its historical fact.

 

[waltky]

How to help the victims of the California wildfires...

How to help the victims of the California wildfires
Aug 1, 2018 - Fast-moving wildfires in California have claimed the lives of at least eight people and have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and buildings.

The fires have been fueled by shifting winds, dry vegetation and record-setting temperatures. To date, they’ve burned through more than 260,000 acres of land, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people across the state. The largest blaze, the Carr Fire in Northern California, has burned more than 100,000 acres alone and is just 30 percent contained, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Officials say it’s already one of the 10 most destructive fires in California history. As firefighters struggle to contain the active flames, additional fires erupted overnight, threatening more structures.

This all comes just less than a year after the worst fire season in California’s history, according to CalFire. Late last year, wildfires killed 44 people, burned more than 500,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes and cost the state $9 billion in insurance claims. Californians are still recovering from those fires, and thousands more will need additional assistance recovering from the blazes that are currently burning across the state — from San Bernardino in the south to Shasta County in the north.

A firefighter uses a hose to knock down flames while battling the Ranch Fire (Mendocino Complex) north of Upper Lake, California, U.S., August 1, 2018.​

Here are some organizations seeking help in their recovery efforts.

• The Salvation Army has deployed disaster response teams to help evacuees and first responders in Redding, California, where the Carr Fire has has already destroyed hundreds of buildings and threatens thousands more. The organization is collecting monetary donationsfrom the public, which it says will go directly toward relief efforts.
• GoFundMe has created a list of verified campaigns that are raising money for those impacted by the Carr Fire. Donors can send money to help families, residents and firefighters.
• Facebook has launched a crisis response page for those affected by the fires in Northern California. Users can create public posts on the page to request, find or offer help. They also have the option to donate money directly to relief efforts such as GlobalGiving.
• The Shasta Regional Community Foundation is accepting donations for its Community Disaster Relief Fund. The money collected will be funneled to local nonprofits and disaster relief organizations.
• The American Red Cross is providing shelter and aid for fire victims in Northern California. Those who want to help the organization can make $10 donations to the Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999 or by visiting its website, redcross.org.
• The Wildfire Firefighter Foundation is accepting donations to help families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assist injured firefighters and their families.
• CNN’s Impact Your World initiative has created a page to collect donations that will go toward seven organizations working on helping the victims of California’s wildfires. The organizations include The Community Foundation Sonoma County, Convoy of Hope and Direct Relief.
• The California Community Foundation has created a list of resources to help Southern California residents impacted by the Cranston and Rock fires in San Diego and Riverside counties. People can use the list to support relief organizations and send donations.
• The Haven Humane Society has evacuated and rescued hundreds of pets and other animals from the Carr Fire. The organization is asking the public for donations, including food and supplies, to further help the animals. A full list of supplies can be found on its Facebook page.
• United Way of Northern California has established the Shasta County Fire Relief Fund to help victims of the Carr Fire. To donate, people can text CARRFIRE to 91999 or visit the organization’s website.
• California Volunteers, a state office that manages volunteer programs in California, has created a list of services and donation options to help victims affected by the Carr, Ferguson, Mendocino Complex and Cranston fires. People can use the list to find information about donations and volunteering.

How to help the victims of the California wildfires

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Temperature is about 15 below average here.

And, by temperature, you meant your IQ.

The Latest: about 400 campers evacuate Washington wildfire

 

[skookerasbil]

Temperature is about 15 below average here.

And, by temperature, you meant your IQ.

The Latest: about 400 campers evacuate Washington wildfire

Clearly we need a new Smokey campaign ( or whatever that bear's name was ) like they did in the 70's. St00pid mutherfuckers go camping and burn down the forest. Gotta wonder though....alot of environment mental cases living out on the left coast.

This whole climate change/forest fire thing pushed by the climate crusaders is laughed at by most of the country that is freezing its collective ass off 9 months out of the year.. The climate crusaders still fAiL to recognize that the voters are not at all concerned about the science.....because they are spending most months of the year wearing nut sack warmers. Duh....that's the way it works. The research on it is not even debatable.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Are not in Florida, because it rains every day, and the forestry service makes firecuts and burns off undergrowth.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

St00pid mutherfuckers go camping and burn down the forest.

Except... that wildfire was started by lightning. It says so literally in the third sentence of the article I linked. Damn, son... get some self respect...

 

[waltky]

Portugal fights major wildfire as Europe’s heat wave lingers...

Portugal fights major wildfire as Europe’s heat wave lingers
Aug 06,`18 - Authorities said that more than 1,100 firefighters with 327 vehicles and eight aircraft were battling the blaze that erupted amid a heatwave caused by a mass of hot air from North Africa.

Emergency services in Portugal kept up their fight Monday against a four-day wildfire on the south coast that threatened to engulf a hillside town overnight, as sweltering weather continued in Europe. The Civil Protection Agency said 44 people required medical assistance as the blaze passed by the outskirts of Monchique, 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Lisbon, in the dark. A 72-year-old woman was seriously hurt. Authorities said that more than 1,100 firefighters with 327 vehicles and eight aircraft were battling the blaze that erupted amid a heatwave caused by a mass of hot air from North Africa. The rest of Europe has also felt the torrid recent weather.

In France, where four nuclear reactors have been temporarily closed due to the heat, three cities banned the most polluting cars from the roads because of heat-linked ozone pollution. The heat wave in France is expected to last until Thursday, with temperatures peaking Tuesday. In Norway, authorities warned motorists to watch out for reindeer and sheep taking shelter from the heat in tunnels. Neighboring Sweden has been fighting an uncommon number of wildfires this summer, even above the Arctic Circle, and a European Union official pointed his finger at climate change.

Firefighters help to put out a forest fire next to the village of Monchique, Portugal August 6, 2018. ​

After four days of intense heat that broke some records in Portugal, with temperatures surpassing 45 C (113 F), Portuguese authorities forecast a cooler period beginning Monday. The Algarve wasn’t expected to exceed 30 C (86 F), while Lisbon was expecting 33 C (91 F). Parts of the south and northeast of the country remained at “extreme risk” of wildfires, however, according to the national weather agency’s forecast. The falling temperatures helped create “much more favorable” conditions for firefighters tackling the Monchique blaze, local fire chief Abel Gomes told a news conference.

Spain sent two Canadair water-dropping planes across the border Monday to help efforts around Monchique. Overnight, dozens of homes and a hotel were evacuated around the town of about 2,000 people which is known for its spa. The wind-driven fire has been racing across tinder-dry pine and eucalyptus forest in a largely inaccessible hill range behind the famous beaches of Portugal’s Algarve vacation region. Plumes of black smoke have blown across beaches popular with European tourists.

Portugal fights major wildfire as Europe's heat wave lingers

See also:

Mendocino Complex becomes largest wildfire in California history - state officials
6 Aug.`18 - The Mendocino Complex became the largest wildfire in California state history on Monday as it raged at the southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest, state wildfire officials said.

The Mendocino Complex Fire, made up of two separate conflagrations that merged, has burned 283,800 acres (114,800 hectares) and was still growing, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

The complex took over the top spot from the Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in 2017.

Mendocino Complex becomes largest wildfire in California history -...

 

[waltky]

Greek emergency chiefs resign amid blame for wildfires that killed 91...

Greek emergency chiefs resign amid blame for wildfires that killed 91
Aug. 6,`18 (UPI) -- Greek authorities have replaced multiple emergency chiefs in the wake of criticism over the wildfires that killed nearly 100 people near the capital, Athens.

Yiannis Kapakis, the country's civil protection chief, resigned Monday over growing public criticism that the Greek government failed to warn residentsto evacuate ahead of the fire. Kapakis' resignation follows the resignations of the police and fire chiefs Sunday. Officials said Lt. Gen. Vasileios Matthaiopoulos will be Greece's new fire chief, replacing Sotirios Terzoudis. The prime minister's press office announced Lt. Gen. Aristides Andrikopoulos will take over as police chief, replacing Constantinos Tsouvalas.

​

Firefighters and volunteers battle a wildfire near Athens, Greece. Criticism over failure to warn residents led to the resignations of Greece's civil protection, police and fire chiefs.​

A couple days earlier, Greek Civil Protection Minister Nikos Toskas resigned. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipiras accepted Toskas resignation, and Interior Minister Panos Skourletis will act as his replacement, his office said. The destructive wildfires spread rapidly due to strong winds and forced hundreds to escape to the coast. The government blamed arsonists for starting one of the fires and illegal construction for blocking escape routes.

Tsipras took responsibility last month for the fires amid mounting criticism. "We have serious indications and significant findings of criminal activity concerning arson," Public Order Minister Nikos Toskas said. "We are troubled by many factors, and there have been physical findings that are the subject of an investigation." Toskas, though, said no "grave operational mistakes" were made by emergency services. The fires have been the deadliest Greece has seen in decades.

Greek emergency chiefs resign amid blame for wildfires that killed 91

See also:
Greece to demolish 3,200 illegal structures after deadly wildfire
Aug. 7,`18 (UPI) -- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsirpas announced thousands of illegal buildings will be demolished after the country's deadliest wildfire.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsirpas announced thousands of illegal buildings will be demolished after the country's deadliest wildfire. Tsirpas said 3,200 buildings in the Attica region will be demolished immediately, after authorities said unlicensed construction hampered attempts to escape areas affected by the fire in Mati last month, which killed 91 people. "Whatever represents a danger will be torn down," Tsirpas said. "It is our duty to our dead, but more so towards the living."

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced plans Tuesday to demolish 3,200 illegal buildings in the aftermath of a wildfire that killed 91 people.​

Authorities said there were dozens of "afthereta" or "arbitrary" buildings in Mati, which blocked access to the coast during the fire. Such structures are initially constructed without permission from the government, before often being licensed in amnesties. Tsirpas didn't provide an exact timetable for when the process would be complete, but said the government would also focus on illegal fences on private properties. "The chaos of unchecked construction that threatens human lives is no longer acceptable," he said.

Greece to demolish 3,200 illegal structures after deadly wildfire

 

[waltky]

Firefighters race to put out arson fire in California...

Firefighters race to put out arson fire in California
Sat, Aug 11, 2018 - Aircraft turned hillsides red with retardant as homeowners wet their houses with garden hoses in a battle to contain an arson wildfire that prompted evacuation orders for more than 20,000 people south of Los Angeles.

California Governor Jerry Brown on Thursday night declared a state of emergency for Orange and Riverside counties as a four-day-old fire carved its way along ridges and hillsides of the Cleveland National Forest. Brown’s proclamation said that thousands of homes were threatened by the fire in the foothills above Lake Elsinore and nearby communities, and ordered state agencies to help local governments. Firefighters planned to work through the night to gain ground against the blaze before the expected return yesterday afternoon of blustery winds that might drive the flames to new ferocity.

A resident of Holy Jim Canyon in the forest was scheduled for a court hearing yesterday on charges that he deliberately set the fire. Forrest Clark, 51, is charged with arson and other crimes and could face life in prison if convicted. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer. Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department Chief Michael Milligan told the Orange County Register newspaper that Clark had a decade-long feud with neighbors and sent him threatening e-mails last week, including one that said, “this place will burn.” Ironically, his cabin was the only one in the canyon to survive the flames, the newspaper reported.

​

Resident Moe Blythe, left, on Thursday wears a makeshift mask to protect himself from smoke as he watches the Holy Fire burn near homes in Corona, California. The fire continued to grow amid a heat wave and had burned 4,142 hectares while remaining just 5 percent contained.​

As flames raged closer to foothill homes on Thursday, some residents ignoring evacuation orders stood in driveways or on top of roofs and used garden hoses to wet down their property as smoke billowed around them. Joe Rodriguez, 38, used a power washer on his patio in the McVicker Canyon Park neighborhood. “Until this thing is barking at my door, I’m going to stick with it,” he told the San Bernardino Sun newspaper. Firefighters fought a desperate battle as huge flames came within meters of some homes, feeding on dense, dry chaparral and propelled by 30kph gusts. They want to encircle the fire before it can devour neighborhoods and take lives, as gigantic fires still burning in northern California have done. “Our main focus this afternoon was getting everyone out safely,” said Thanh Nguyen, a spokesman for the crews battling wat has been dubbed the Holy Fire.

Although the fire — named for the canyon where it started — destroyed a dozen cabins after breaking out on Monday, fire crews were able to prevent further losses, but the fire was still virtually uncontrolled as its growth nullified progress in corralling it. Wind speeds and temperatures dropped as night fell, but gusty winds could pick up again yesterday afternoon, the US National Weather Service warned. Meanwhile, two major wildfires — including one called the Mendocino Complex Fire, which is the largest in California history — were burning more than 160km north of Sacramento. Crews turned a corner and achieved 51 percent containment of the Mendocino Complex — twin fires that are being fought together. The fire destroyed more than 100 homes and has blackened an area about the size of the city of Los Angeles.

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[waltky]

Villagers told to GET OUT as forest fires RAGE through Greek island...

GREECE WILDFIRES: Villagers told to GET OUT as forest fires RAGE through Greek island
Sun, Aug 12, 2018 - GREEK fire crews have evacuated two villages on an island near Athens as a fire continues to rage through a pine forest, fanned by strong winds.

The blaze took hold in a dry pine forest in the Dirfyon municipal region at 3.20pm (local time) and isheading towards the evacuated villages, close to Athens. Shocking video footage shows how forest fires have turned the city skyline orange. The fires prompted the mass evacuation of Kontodespoti and Stavros village in central Evia, about 70 km (44 miles) from Athens, which was described as a precaution. Mayor of Dirfia and Messapies, Giorgos Psaras, said: "The fire has a very wide front and is now at a pine forest, moving fast towards Psachna. "Despite constant drops of water by aircraft and helicopters, it has been impossible to check its path."

Greece fires have caused the evacuation of two villages on the island of Evia​

Greece’s Fire Service says 50 personnel, 21 vehicles, and four firefighting airplanes and helicopters are tacklng the fire to bring it under control. Traffic between the Chalkida highway and North Evia, the island east of Attica, has been halted. Officials have warned the area has low visibility due to the smoke. It comes after wildfires near the capital killed 94 people in July, the country's worst such disaster. Officials say the wildfires are the worst to hit the country since 2007. Witnesses reported seeing corpses, while shocking images have shown burnt-out cars and thick black clouds of smoke. The devasting fires prompted Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to replace the Civil Protection Minister and the heads of Fire Brigade and Police.

Regional Greek authorities also declared a state of emergency in the eastern and western parts of greater Athens as fires fanned by winds raged through pine forests and seaside towns. Buses, water trucks and machinery are being provided to help battle the fires. Mr Tsipras also announced the demolition of thousands of illegal buildings in response to the deaths of dozens of people who were unable to escape a maze of poorly planned streets.

GREECE WILDFIRES: Villagers told to GET OUT as forest fires RAGE through Greek island

 

[waltky]

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin...

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin
Sat, Aug 25, 2018 - Three villages southwest of Berlin have been evacuated as a wildfire the size of 400 soccer fields spread yesterday.

More than 500 people had to leave their homes as a result of the fire in Treuenbrietzen, about 50km outside of Berlin. “Our main goal is to protect the evacuated villages from the flames,” local lawmaker Christian Stein told the German news agency dpa. “We haven’t been able to push back the fire, but none of the buildings have been damaged,” Stein said. Police said that their plans to extinguish the flames have been complicated by old ammunition from World War II, that was still buried in the forests and which could explode due to the fires.

Stein said there had already been several detonations and that firefighters were not allowed to enter suspicious areas. Instead, authorities were trying to douse the flames in those areas with firefighting helicopters. The fire started on Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through the dry pine forests. By the evening, authorities had evacuated the villages of Frohnsdorf, Klausdorf and Tiefenbrunnen. “Something like that, we didn’t even experience during the war,” 76-year-old Anita Biedermann told dpa as police told her to grab her jacket, ID and important medication from her home before taking her to a nearby gym for the night.

​

​

Headlights shine on a road in Klausdorf, Germany, as a forest fire burns outside Berlin on Wednesday.​

Overnight, winds blew the smoke to Berlin, where people in some neighborhoods were asked to keep their windows closed. Berlin emergency services received calls from concerned residents. Hundreds of firefighters were on the ground in Treuenbrietzen trying to cut trees to make long swaths in the forests to prevent the fire from spreading further. They were also fighting the flames with helicopters and water cannons.

Germany has seen a long, hot summer with almost no rain and large parts of the country are on high alert regarding possible wildfires. Raimund Engel, who is in charge of forests in the state of Brandeburg where Treuenbrietzen is, said 400 wildfires have already been reported this year. “I hope the weather will play along and the winds won’t increase again,” Stein said. “We are yearning for rain.”

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin - Taipei Times

 

[skookerasbil]

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin...

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin
Sat, Aug 25, 2018 - Three villages southwest of Berlin have been evacuated as a wildfire the size of 400 soccer fields spread yesterday.

More than 500 people had to leave their homes as a result of the fire in Treuenbrietzen, about 50km outside of Berlin. “Our main goal is to protect the evacuated villages from the flames,” local lawmaker Christian Stein told the German news agency dpa. “We haven’t been able to push back the fire, but none of the buildings have been damaged,” Stein said. Police said that their plans to extinguish the flames have been complicated by old ammunition from World War II, that was still buried in the forests and which could explode due to the fires.

Stein said there had already been several detonations and that firefighters were not allowed to enter suspicious areas. Instead, authorities were trying to douse the flames in those areas with firefighting helicopters. The fire started on Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through the dry pine forests. By the evening, authorities had evacuated the villages of Frohnsdorf, Klausdorf and Tiefenbrunnen. “Something like that, we didn’t even experience during the war,” 76-year-old Anita Biedermann told dpa as police told her to grab her jacket, ID and important medication from her home before taking her to a nearby gym for the night.

Headlights shine on a road in Klausdorf, Germany, as a forest fire burns outside Berlin on Wednesday.​

Overnight, winds blew the smoke to Berlin, where people in some neighborhoods were asked to keep their windows closed. Berlin emergency services received calls from concerned residents. Hundreds of firefighters were on the ground in Treuenbrietzen trying to cut trees to make long swaths in the forests to prevent the fire from spreading further. They were also fighting the flames with helicopters and water cannons.

Germany has seen a long, hot summer with almost no rain and large parts of the country are on high alert regarding possible wildfires. Raimund Engel, who is in charge of forests in the state of Brandeburg where Treuenbrietzen is, said 400 wildfires have already been reported this year. “I hope the weather will play along and the winds won’t increase again,” Stein said. “We are yearning for rain.”

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin - Taipei Times

fAiL

 

[waltky]

Wildfire southwest of Berlin sets off WWII ammunition still buried in forests...

Wildfire southwest of Berlin sets off WWII ammunition still buried in forests
August 24, 2018 -- Firefighters struggled Friday to tame a wildfire southwest of Berlin but had to maneuver carefully as the blaze set off old World War II ammunition that is still buried in the forests around the German capital. Flames forced the evacuation of several nearby villages and sent clouds of acrid smoke toward the German capital.

The fire, which was the size of 500 soccer fields, has already set off several detonations of old ammunition, according to local lawmaker Christian Stein. Firefighters were not allowed to enter suspicious areas. "The ammunition is very dangerous, because one cannot step on the ground, and therefore one cannot get close to the fire" to extinguish it, Brandenburg state's governor, Dietmar Woidke, told reporters.

The fire started Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through the dry pine forests in the Treuenbrietzen region, 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside of Berlin in the eastern state of Brandenburg. By evening, authorities had evacuated 500 people from the villages of Frohnsdorf, Klausdorf and Tiefenbrunnen. "Something like that, we didn't even experience during the war," 76-year-old Anita Biedermann told the dpa news agency as police told her to grab her jacket, ID and medication from her home before taking her to a nearby gym for the night.

Firefighters were trying to douse the flames in areas they could not enter with water-bearing helicopters and water cannons. "The fire continues to be a big threat," Woidke said. "But we will do everything to protect people's property." Overnight, winds blew the smoke to Berlin, where people in some neighborhoods were told to keep their windows closed. In some cases the smell of smoke was so strong that residents called Berlin emergency services. More than 600 firefighters and soldiers were brought in to battle the wildfire, cutting trees to make long firebreaks. Several roads were closed and local trains halted service in the area close to the fire.

Stein said the fact that the fire broke out in several places simultaneously suggested it could have been arson, but Brandenburg's Interior Ministry said it was still investigating the cause of the fire. Germany has seen a long, hot summer with almost no rain, and large parts of the country are on high alert regarding possible wildfires. Raimund Engel, who is in charge of forests in the state of Brandenburg, said 400 wildfires have already been reported this year. "I hope the weather will play along and the winds won't increase again," Stein said. "We are yearning for rain."

Wildfire southwest of Berlin sets off WWII ammunition still buried in forests

 

[polarbear]

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin...

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin
Sat, Aug 25, 2018 - Three villages southwest of Berlin have been evacuated as a wildfire the size of 400 soccer fields spread yesterday.

More than 500 people had to leave their homes as a result of the fire in Treuenbrietzen, about 50km outside of Berlin. “Our main goal is to protect the evacuated villages from the flames,” local lawmaker Christian Stein told the German news agency dpa. “We haven’t been able to push back the fire, but none of the buildings have been damaged,” Stein said. Police said that their plans to extinguish the flames have been complicated by old ammunition from World War II, that was still buried in the forests and which could explode due to the fires.

Stein said there had already been several detonations and that firefighters were not allowed to enter suspicious areas. Instead, authorities were trying to douse the flames in those areas with firefighting helicopters. The fire started on Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through the dry pine forests. By the evening, authorities had evacuated the villages of Frohnsdorf, Klausdorf and Tiefenbrunnen. “Something like that, we didn’t even experience during the war,” 76-year-old Anita Biedermann told dpa as police told her to grab her jacket, ID and important medication from her home before taking her to a nearby gym for the night.

Headlights shine on a road in Klausdorf, Germany, as a forest fire burns outside Berlin on Wednesday.​

Overnight, winds blew the smoke to Berlin, where people in some neighborhoods were asked to keep their windows closed. Berlin emergency services received calls from concerned residents. Hundreds of firefighters were on the ground in Treuenbrietzen trying to cut trees to make long swaths in the forests to prevent the fire from spreading further. They were also fighting the flames with helicopters and water cannons.

Germany has seen a long, hot summer with almost no rain and large parts of the country are on high alert regarding possible wildfires. Raimund Engel, who is in charge of forests in the state of Brandeburg where Treuenbrietzen is, said 400 wildfires have already been reported this year. “I hope the weather will play along and the winds won’t increase again,” Stein said. “We are yearning for rain.”

Wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin - Taipei Times

fAiL

A small fire like this one would normally not even make it beyond local news media.
Residents in the area have already moved back in by the time the article he quotes was published.
And then this crap about "loud explosions could be heard all the time"
That area had been used as a firing exercise range by the Soviets who buried a lot of ammunition there, supposedly duds for the most part.
Bewohner der evakuierten Dörfer dürfen zurück
Dass nun Waldbrände die Gebiete von den Munitionsresten befreien, weil diese durch die Hitze explodieren, solle man besser nicht hoffen, meint Spyra. "Wir haben solche Versuche gemacht: Das Problem ist, dass die Munition in unterschiedlichen Tiefen lagert." Tatsächlich könne das Feuer die Kampfmittel sogar noch gefährlicher machen, so der Experte, weil tief im Boden liegende Munition nur beschädigt, aber nicht zur Detonation gebracht werden könnte. Deswegen dürfe unmittelbar nach Löscharbeiten auch niemand in munitionsbelastete Gebiete hinein, "um sicher zu sein, dass die Leute, die nachschauen, nicht ihr Leben riskieren".
Translation: We conducted experiments using fires to explode these munitions but it did not work because it has been buried at various depth

 

[longknife]

It's Summer, the time for wildfires. Nothing unusual.