France Requests 24 Australian Firefighters as Record Wildfires and Heatwave Strain Europe
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 1
France Requests 24 Australian Firefighters as Record Wildfires and Heatwave Strain Europe
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 1
Summary
France has made its first-ever request for Australian wildfire help, with 24 firefighters and several aircraft set to deploy as blazes intensify during a prolonged heatwave.
The call for assistance comes as Europe faces some of its worst fires in decades; Spain has already declared a national state of emergency and scientists cite heavy fuel build-up and extreme fire weather.
Australian fire officials say the country’s experience with high-intensity bushfires has shifted strategy toward earlier risk detection, hazard reduction burns, backburning and drone-led intelligence.
Researchers and Indigenous fire practitioners are also combining satellite data with 60,000-year-old cultural burning knowledge to identify landscapes ready to burn and reduce fuel before major fires take hold.
The request underscores a more connected global fire network as Australia braces for a potentially severe El Nino-driven season of its own and officials warn no fire service can cope alone.