Around 100 municipalities in 12 districts across Portugal are facing “maximum wildfire risk” this Thursday, according to the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA). The warning applies to municipalities in
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Defense says no evidence occasional Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht ignited deadly blaze on New Year’s Day 2025
The trial of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting last year’s deadly Palisades fire, kicked off on Wednesday with opening arguments. Prosecutors cast him as a vengeful arsonist who sought to hide his role from authorities, while his defense attorneys argued that the fire was caused by fireworks.
On New Year’s Day in 2025, firefighters extinguished a small blaze in the Pacific Palisades, a coastal Los Angeles enclave. But the flames continued to smolder underground, before reigniting as they were picked up by strong winds. The Palisades fire, the most destructive wildfires in city history, tore through roughly 23,000 acres, incinerating thousands of buildings and killing 12 people.
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© Photograph: Mona Edwards/Reuters
© Photograph: Mona Edwards/Reuters
© Photograph: Mona Edwards/Reuters
© Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle, via Associated Press
A Guardian analysis reveals how most of 39 countries facing US entry restrictions are most vulnerable environmentally
Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is largely targeting people from the countries most vulnerable to displacement from climate-driven disasters, a Guardian analysis shows.
As the Trump administration pushes policies to boost planet-heating fossil fuels, millions of people are being forced to flee their homelands due to storms, floods and droughts worsened by the climate crisis.
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© Composite: The Guardian, AFP via Getty Images
© Composite: The Guardian, AFP via Getty Images
© Composite: The Guardian, AFP via Getty Images
© The New York Times
Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of starting the blaze that became Los Angeles’s deadliest and destructive wildfire
The trial of a 29-year-old charged with sparking a wildfire that went on to become the deadly Palisades inferno, the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history, is set to begin on Monday in a case that has gripped the city as Angelenos seek answers more than a year after the deadly fire.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, an occasional Uber driver, is accused of starting a small blaze on New Year’s Day 2025, later dubbed the Lachman fire. Although the Los Angeles fire department extinguished the fire on 2 January, it reignited five days later due to high winds and tinderbox conditions after burning undetected deep in the dry hillsides.
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© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP
© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP
© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP
The world is heading into another period of “dangerous heat”. This is according to a new UN report, warning that “it’s nearly certain that global temperatures over the next five
The post Wildfires – from storms to heatwaves appeared first on Portugal Resident.
According to Greece’s Fire Service on Monday, sixty-four forest fires broke out across the country in the last two days, as rising temperatures heightened fire risk, with officials attributing most incidents to negligence during outdoor work and other activities.
Early assessments suggest that human carelessness is the primary cause in most cases. Specialized investigative units are currently examining each incident to establish the exact cause and determine responsibility where appropriate.
Officials said recent high temperatures have increased the risk of ignition and allowed fires to spread more rapidly. However, firefighting forces managed to bring most blazes under control at an early stage through rapid intervention.
The Hellenic Fire Service noted that the swift response prevented the fires from reaching populated areas, highlighting the importance of immediate mobilization in the critical moments after a fire breaks out.
The warning comes as Greece enters a particularly dangerous period for forest fire activity, when dry vegetation, rising temperatures, and local winds can quickly turn even a small spark into a fast-moving blaze.
Authorities have stepped up enforcement of fire prevention regulations since the beginning of the year. From January 1 through June 7, they imposed 402 administrative fines across Greece, totaling around €383,395 ($442,500). During the same period, authorities made seventy-one arrests as called for under procedures for violations of fire prevention legislation.
The figures reflect a broader effort to discourage risky behavior before it leads to larger fires, particularly during periods when weather conditions make the natural environment more vulnerable.
The Fire Service has called on citizens to exercise extreme caution during outdoor activities, particularly those involving sparks, flames, machinery, burning materials, or labor near dry grass and forested areas.
Officials emphasized that most forest fires can be prevented by adhering to basic safety rules and avoiding actions that could ignite a blaze. “Attention from everyone is crucial for protecting human life, property, and the natural environment,” Greek authorities said.
The latest warning comes as Greece enters the wildfire season with a significantly reinforced firefighting plan designed to address increasingly intense and unpredictable summer blazes across the country. On the ground, the Hellenic Fire Service currently counts 17,727 permanent and seasonal firefighters, with the force expected to rise to 18,804 by the end of the year. More than 4,300 vehicles support this expanded manpower, enabling faster deployment and tactical assistance to regional units across both mainland and island areas.
Specialized forest commando units are expected to play a central role in this year’s strategy. These teams are trained to operate in challenging and inaccessible terrain where conventional firefighting forces may struggle to intervene quickly. The elite corps now consists of twenty-one units with 1,450 personnel, marking a sharp expansion compared to 2022, when the program began with just six units.
Greece has also strengthened its aerial firefighting capacity, with eighty to eighty-five aircraft expected to be available daily during the high-risk season, including thirty-three state-owned aircraft and fifty-one leased planes. These resources are intended to support rapid aerial containment, particularly in the critical early stages of a forest fire.
Authorities are increasingly relying on technology as well, including an expanded drone fleet, to improve surveillance and early detection in vulnerable areas. The goal is to identify smoke, heat signatures, or suspicious activity before fires spread, allowing Civil Protection and fire services to coordinate a faster response.
Temperatures are steadily rising this week, with 25 municipalities in the Algarve (Faro district) and districts of Portalegre, Santarém, Castelo Branco, and Bragança at maximum risk for wildfires, according to
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This year’s ‘wildfire season’ officially opened on June 1, with 13,335 firefighters; almost 80 aircraft and almost 3,000 appliances at the ready. These will be beefed even further in July
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A new satellite map, designed to predict wildfires and integrated into a technology tool for rural property management, allows users to identify the areas most at risk of fire this
The post New satellite map shows high-risk areas for wildfires appeared first on Portugal Resident.
President of the Portuguese Firefighters League, António Nunes, has today expressed his “opposition” to fire chiefs commenting on ongoing fires in the media, stating that they should only speak “as
The post President of Firefighters League ‘encourages discretion’ when fire chiefs talk to media appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Portugal’s firefighting force for rural fires is being reinforced again today, with 13,335 personnel and 78 aircraft deployed. This is the second reinforcement of resources this year, in what is
The post Wildfire season officially opens with 13,335 firefighters; over 80 aircraft appeared first on Portugal Resident.
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