The head of the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre, Maria Zuber, warned that Greece, Italy, and Central Europe are set to face heightened wildfire risk in the coming weeks. This threat comes as wildfires continue to blaze in Spain and France.

Wildfire Risk Moving East

Zuber stated that the ongoing heatwave means the next few days will be ‘very difficult’ in France, but other countries should also prepare for imminent potential disasters. The forecast reflects weather conditions that help fires ignite and spread rapidly, such as high temperatures, dry air, wind, and a lack of rain.

Climate change is intensifying the hot, dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread faster and burn longer. Europe suffered its worst wildfire season on record last year, with more than a million hectares of land burned. Zuber said Europe’s fire situation this year so far is similar, with the potential for another record.

The EU centre coordinates the deployment of aircraft and firefighters to countries that request emergency support, drawing on resources pooled by European countries and rented by the EU. It has sent seven planes and four helicopters to France, and six planes and three ground forest firefighting teams to Spain.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.