wildfire | DD News

January 20, 2026 2:50 PM

Chile wildfires kill 19 amid extreme heat; scores evacuated

Wildfires in Chile have killed at least 19 people, authorities said on Monday, as the government carried out mass evacuations and fought over 30 blazes exacerbated by intense heat and high winds. While weather conditions overnight helped control some fires, the largest were still active, with adverse conditions expected throughout the day, Security Minister Luis Cordero said at a news briefing on Monday. "The projection we have today is of high temperatures," Cordero said, and the main worry w...

December 7, 2025 5:40 PM

Australia downgrades wildfire alerts in New South Wales state

Australian authorities on Sunday downgraded alerts for wildfires that have burnt through thousands of hectares of bushland in the country's most populous state, destroying properties and infrastructure. More than 60 wildfires were burning in New South Wales late on Sunday, a day after they destroyed at least 12 homes in the state's Central Coast Region, about 45 km (30 miles) north of the state capital Sydney, Australia's largest city. The region is home to more than 350,000 people. The state'...

November 9, 2025 11:43 AM

New Zealand authorities send extra fire planes to battle 1,100-hectare wildfire

New Zealand authorities said on Sunday that extra aircraft were being sent to fight an out-of-control wildfire that has burnt through around 1,100 hectares (4.2 square miles) of national park in the country's central North Island. Firefighters began battling the fire in Tongariro National Park, a popular hiking spot, on Saturday afternoon and around 40 hikers had to be airlifted to safety. However, firefighting efforts were suspended overnight for safety reasons. Fire and Emergency New Zealand...

August 12, 2025 2:51 PM

Wildfire near Spanish capital under control as one person dies

Firefighters have contained a wildfire near the Spanish capital Madrid, in the Tres Cantos area, which killed one person and prompted the evacuation of 180 people, regional authorities said on Tuesday. Favourable overnight conditions allowed for the fire to be contained, the Community of Madrid said in a statement. A man who had been taken by helicopter to the La Paz hospital after suffering burns on 98% of his body, later died, the Community of Madrid said. The fire affected more than 1,000 ...

August 7, 2025 8:11 AM

France battles largest wildfire in decades, one person killed

French firefighters were battling on Wednesday to control the country's biggest wildfire in almost 80 years, with the blaze in the southern Aude region having already swept through an area bigger than Paris. One person died in the village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, about 30 kilometers from the city of Perpignan, the prefecture said. The fire, which spread very rapidly through forests and villages, has burnt down at least 25 houses, forcing residents and tourists to flee. Many roads are ...

July 9, 2025 2:13 PM

Wildfire loses intensity in southern France, firefighters continue battle

A wildfire that reached the northwestern outskirts of France's second city of Marseille lost intensity overnight, but firefighters were still battling the flames on Wednesday. Residents who had been told on Tuesday to stay in their homes for their own safety were once again allowed out. "With the fire in northern Marseille now clearly under control, we can announce this morning that the 16th arrondissement is no longer on lockdown," Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan said in a post on social media p...

July 8, 2025 4:39 PM

Spain: More than 18,000 people in lockdown as wildfire rages in Catalonia

Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents of the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors on Tuesday and several dozen were evacuated as a wildfire raged out of control, consuming almost 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation. Large parts of Spain are on high alert for wildfires after the country experienced its hottest June on record. Two people died in a wildfire on July 1 in the region of Catalonia where Tarragona is located. The latest fire broke out early on Mond...

January 16, 2025 10:58 AM

Los Angeles ‘Red Flag’ wildfire warnings expire, but dangers persist

Red Flag warnings advising of extreme wildfire danger expired across the Los Angeles area late on Wednesday, but forecasters warned that dry and windy conditions will persist on Thursday, and that the threat of blazes remained. The National Weather Service added that the respite for fire-ravaged Los Angeles will be short, with high chances for renewed Red Flag warnings - when ideal fire conditions of high winds and low humidity dominate - starting again on Sunday. Some 6.5 million people remai...

August 13, 2024 1:19 PM

Wildfire fanned by gales menaces Athens suburbs as residents flee

Greece's worst wildfire this year spread into the Athens suburbs on Monday, forcing hundreds of people to flee as it torched trees, homes and cars and choked busy roads with smoke and ash. The government called for help from fellow EU members to tackle the fire that was burning out of control for a second day, fanned by gale force winds that pushed it from the wooded hills north of the city. Firefighters said flames, threatening apartment blocks, schools and businesses, had reached the deepest...