Filtered by category: The Guardian, tag: wildfires × Clear
Country diary: We’ve had fires here in the Cairngorms before. But this one has changed things | Amanda Thomson
A wildfire in the Cairngorms has burned for over three weeks, scorching heather moorland, blaeberry understoreys, and ancient pines, with flames burning into peat and root systems. The author describes gathering documents in case of evacuation and temporarily leaving home when smoke closed in, calling it an unprecedented and heartbreaking experience for the area.
Europe’s dry riverbeds and scorched earth – in pictures
Severe drought and extreme heat across Europe have left riverbeds dry and landscapes scorched. Wildfires have spread across multiple countries as the continent endures an intense summer. Images show the stark impact on rivers, farmland and natural habitats, highlighting the growing consequences of climate-driven weather extremes affecting communities and ecosystems throughout the region.
Extreme heat breaks temperature records in central and eastern Europe
Slovakia hit a record 42C in Dolné Plachtince as extreme heat swept central and eastern Europe, with Austria and Hungary also registering record temperatures. The heatwave, linked to wider drought and wildfire conditions across the continent, forced Polish authorities to shut down two power plants, at Kozienice and Połaniec.
We need a wartime mindset to fight the threat of wildfires | Seth Klein
European leaders invoke WWII comparisons as wildfires devastate France and Spain, but critics argue governments aren't applying the real lessons of wartime thinking. True wartime mobilization meant rapid, preemptive government action and resource deployment — not reactive crisis management. Without that proactive approach to wildfire preparedness and climate change, the rhetoric remains hollow.