Australian authorities called for the evacuation of tens of thousands in the southeast, including Victoria, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, due to an intense heat wave exacerbating bushfire risks, marking the region’s severest conditions in four years.
An emergency warning has been issued for 28 communities west of Ballarat, Victoria, as residents are urged to evacuate due to an out-of-control bushfire. The fire, which ignited along Bayindeen-Rocky Road, is being fought by 1 000 firefighters with support from 24 aircraft and 100 vehicles.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand reported a large vegetation fire covering about 650 ha (1 606 acres) in the Port Hills near Christchurch on February 15, 2024. A state of emergency was declared the previous day, with 130 firefighters, 11 helicopters, and heavy machinery deployed. Evacuations affected 80 properties, though no homes were lost. The blaze remains uncontained, and a public health warning was issued due to smoke.
Intense wildfires in central Chile have resulted in at least 112 fatalities, hundreds missing and the destruction of thousands of homes as of early Monday, February 5, 2024. A state of emergency has been declared in response to the crisis, with fires continuing to spread through densely populated areas. Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Interior Minister Carolina Tohá highlighted the severity of the situation, noting the challenges posed by 92 active fires amid unusually high temperatures and the impact of the El Niño weather pattern.
Colombia has declared a state of emergency in Santander and Cundinamarca, including the capital Bogota, as dozens of forest fires consume about 600 ha (1 483 acres) of land, fueled by record temperatures linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling a wildfire that spread across a mountain near Cape Town, endangering South Africa’s largest naval base and leading to the evacuation of nearby houses.
Wildfires continue to wreak havoc across central Chile, particularly in Valparaiso, O’Higgins, and Santiago, with over 2 800 ha (1 739 acres) affected and several communities evacuated.
Wildfires exacerbated by an intense heat wave led to the evacuation of dozens of residents in Cordoba Province, Argentina, on October 10, 2023. The fires neared the resort city of Villa Carlos Paz and involved the deployment of 960 firefighters.
Tenerife authorities called a high-level emergency on Thursday, October 5, 2023, evacuating roughly 3 000 people from Santa Ursula and La Orotava, as firefighters tackled a wildfire, initially ignited on Wednesday and worsened by strong winds and high temperatures.
The wildfire crisis deepens in Greece with significant outbreaks across several regions including Alexandroupolis, Dadia, Rodopi Municipalities in East Macedonia, Parintha in the Attica Region, and Viotia in Central Greece.
