EU plans new firefighting fleet after deadly summer heat wave
BRUSSELS (AP) — A scorching summer that dried up rivers and killed tens of thousands across the European Union from Portugal to Hungary has shown that the bloc needs to develop new tools to meet a worsening climate, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. She said that this instability led her to […]
The European Union is set to expand its firefighting capabilities in response to a devastating summer heat wave that claimed tens of thousands of lives across the continent. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a new European Heatwave Plan and proposed a fleet of firefighting airplanes as part of a broader plan to address the worsening climate crisis.
The EU currently relies on a limited fleet of aircraft, water trucks, and volunteers to combat fires across its 27 member states. Von der Leyen emphasized the severity of the heat wave, noting that almost no part of Europe remained unaffected, with rivers like the Danube, Rhine, and Garonne drying up and care homes and hospitals dangerously overheated.
The excessive heat resulted in over 35,000 additional deaths, tripling the estimated number of "excessive deaths" reported in July. Fires in France and Spain forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate, while Hungary and France had to shut down nuclear reactors, Belgium's border with Germany saw ignited munitions, and previously lost ships were uncovered on riverbeds.
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