Wildfires force thousands to flee across Croatia, France, Germany and Greece
Thousands of people have been evacuated across Croatia, France, Germany and Greece as wildfires continue to spread through parts of western and southeastern Europe. The latest blazes have been driven by strong winds and prolonged heat, with emergency services responding to fast-moving fires in tourist and rural areas. In Croatia, a fire near the coastal town of Omis has left at least 14 people hospitalised, including seven in life-threatening condition.Local officials said the situation in Croatia remained difficult overnight, with flames affecting settlements and forest areas between Lokva Rogoznica and Omis. In western Germany, authorities ordered about 1,800 people to... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 09:59 LONDON
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France's Landes forest wildfire forces evacuations as more than 1,100 hectares burn
A wildfire in France's Landes forest has forced evacuations and burned more than 1,100 hectares, according to local authorities. The blaze broke out near Luglon in southwest France on Thursday afternoon and spread through forested land under strong, shifting winds. Residents and a nearby campsite were moved to a reception centre in Sabres as firefighters worked to contain the fire.The fire started shortly before 2:30 p.m. on 13 August and by Friday morning the Landes prefecture said the burned area had passed 1,100 hectares. No homes had been destroyed, but the flames had reached within a few hundred metres of... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 09:33 LONDON
Wildfire forces evacuation of about 1,000 people on Croatia's coast
A wildfire on Croatia's coast has forced the evacuation of about 1,000 people, according to the supplied report. Flames were reported sweeping along the shoreline as emergency crews responded to the fast-moving fire. The incident is described as an active wildfire emergency on 14 August.The confirmed figure in the report is the evacuation of about 1,000 people. The material does not provide a precise town name, the cause of the fire, or details on how many firefighters or aircraft were deployed. It does, however, make clear that the blaze was serious enough to trigger a large-scale evacuation response.The evacuation suggests... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 09:30 LONDON
West Midlands wildfire spreads near Stourbridge as evacuations continue
Residents near Stourbridge in the West Midlands have been evacuated after a large grass fire spread across homes, roads and woodland on Thursday. Emergency crews said the blaze was affecting six houses and had burned across about 40 acres of land, with smoke visible across the town. Stourbridge Town Hall has been opened as a rescue centre for people forced to leave their homes.West Midlands Fire Service said it was facing extreme levels of demand as around 60 firefighters attended the scene near Stourbridge golf course after being alerted at about 1.30pm. The service said two casualties were affected by... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Aug 2026 19:59 LONDON
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Explosion at munitions factory near Rome in Colleferro
An explosion has hit a munitions factory in Colleferro, on the outskirts of Rome, after a fire broke out at the site on Thursday. The blast was heard several kilometres away, according to local reports, and sent a thick column of smoke above the facility. Emergency crews were already at the plant trying to bring the fire under control when the explosion occurred.The incident took place at the former Simmel Difesa site, now operated by KNDS Ammo Italy, a subsidiary of the Franco-German defence group KNDS. The company produces medium- and large-calibre ammunition for land and naval use, as well... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Aug 2026 17:35 LONDON
Russian drone strike hits passenger train in Odesa region, killing driver
A Russian jet-powered Shahed drone struck a passenger train in Ukraine's Odesa region on Thursday morning, killing the driver and his assistant. The train was travelling on the Odesa-Dnipro route when it was hit in the Berezivka district. Officials said all 340 passengers were evacuated safely after the attack.Ukrzaliznytsia chairman Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said a monitoring team had detected the drone and ordered the train to stop near a station. He said the drone then made a sudden manoeuvre, leaving the crew too little time to evacuate after the train halted. The locomotive was severely damaged and firefighters were seen extinguishing... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Aug 2026 12:30 LONDON
US Army Apache helicopter crashes near Fort Hood, killing two and sparking wildfire
A US Army Apache helicopter crashed in central Texas on Wednesday during a routine training flight, killing the two people on board and triggering a forest fire near Fort Hood. The aircraft came down in a field close to the military base, which is used for training and the mobilisation of heavy forces. Authorities said the helicopter did not hit homes or other structures.A military official said the AH-64 Apache was on a standard training mission when it crashed. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Cliff Coleman, who described the impact, said it was clear the aircraft... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Aug 2026 02:30 LONDON
Colombia declares three days of mourning as earthquake death toll rises
Colombia has declared three days of national mourning after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed more than 200 people and injured 2,595, according to the latest supplied reporting. The government said flags would be lowered to half-staff at official buildings and Colombian embassies abroad in honour of the dead. Rescue crews are still searching damaged neighbourhoods as the disaster enters its third day.The quake struck on Monday and is described in the supplied material as the strongest to hit Colombia in a century. More than 100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday afternoon, adding to the difficulty of search operations in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 17:02 LONDON
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Drone attack triggers major fire at Libya's Zawiya refinery as attacks continue
Firefighters and emergency crews are still battling a major blaze at Libya's Zawiya refinery after a drone strike hit a fuel tank at the country's largest operating oil facility. The plant is west of Tripoli, and the fire followed a series of attacks on the same site over two days. The National Oil Corporation said the latest strike hit a tank containing about 4.5 million litres of fuel, causing it to collapse and ignite a large fire.The corporation said this was the third such incident in two days, after earlier drone strikes on a naphtha reservoir and a water desalination... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 11 Aug 2026 14:35 LONDON
M25 closed in both directions after major fire near St Albans raises explosion risk
A large fire at a commercial premises near the M25 in Hertfordshire has forced the motorway to close in both directions on Tuesday morning. The closure affects the stretch between junction 22 at St Albans and junction 21A, after emergency crews reported a risk of secondary explosions. Smoke and debris were also affecting the carriageway, according to the road operator.National Highways said the incident involved a significant fire at a commercial site close to the motorway. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed 15 fire appliances to the scene to tackle the blaze. The fire service said it was responding at... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 11 Aug 2026 11:33 LONDON
British Columbia wildfire as evacuations top 12,000 and one woman dies
The Bald Range Fire in British Columbia's Okanagan region has continued to spread rapidly, forcing more than 12,000 residents to evacuate. The blaze started on Friday and grew in a matter of hours to about 53 square miles, or 136 square kilometres, according to officials. It remains out of control as authorities assess the damage left behind in communities around Okanagan Lake.Police said an 80-year-old woman died while trying to flee the wildfire on Sunday. Officials in British Columbia are still trying to determine how many homes have been lost, and the full scale of structural damage has not yet... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 10 Aug 2026 18:06 LONDON
Europe braces for another intense summer heatwave as warnings spread across the continent
Much of Europe is facing another intense summer heatwave, with warnings already in place in parts of Britain and France and high temperatures forecast across several other countries. The latest spell is expected to push temperatures into the mid-30s Celsius in some areas, while dry conditions are also worsening fire risk in the south of the continent. The developing episode is affecting a wide stretch of Europe, from the British Isles to the Mediterranean and into central Europe.In the United Kingdom, the Met Office said the summer's fifth hot spell was about to take hold, with temperatures reaching the mid-30s... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 10 Aug 2026 15:36 LONDON
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Western Europe heat wave breaks June-July temperature record as wildfire risk rises
Western Europe has recorded a new June-July average temperature high as persistent heat waves continue to affect the region. Copernicus said the average temperature for the two-month period reached 21.62C, surpassing the previous record set in 2022. The latest figures come as the summer heat has already been linked to drought, wildfires and new national temperature records across the region.The climate monitoring service said the record was overturned by the hot spells that have been affecting Western Europe since May. It said the intense heat has contributed to a protracted drought and thousands of anticipated heat-related deaths. The same report... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 10 Aug 2026 06:00 LONDON
British Columbia wildfires force about 22,000 people to flee as federal aid is approved
British Columbia is facing a fast-moving wildfire emergency that has forced about 22,000 people to leave their homes, with evacuations widening across the province. The fires have spread across multiple communities, including Summerland and Peachland, as firefighters struggle to contain several fronts at once. Officials say the situation has developed rapidly, with one major blaze expanding to more than 100 square kilometres within hours.The BC Wildfire Service said 102 wildfires were burning across the province on Sunday, and nearly half were classified as out of control. Of those fires, 78 started in the past week, underscoring how quickly the situation... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 09 Aug 2026 20:03 LONDON
Indonesia closes Mount Bromo national park as wildfire expands in East Java
Indonesian authorities have closed access to Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java after a fast-moving wildfire spread across land near Mount Bromo. The closure was announced on Saturday and will remain in place until further notice. The park sits near an active volcano and is a major tourist destination, making the disruption significant for visitors and local operations.Officials said the blaze began on Monday and had grown to about 176 hectares by Sunday, up from roughly 60 hectares on Thursday. The park chief, Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha, said the closure was intended to protect visitors, staff and people in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 09 Aug 2026 14:30 LONDON
Pilot and crew member killed in Utah wildfire helicopter crash near Richfield
A firefighting helicopter has crashed during operations on the Widemouth 2 fire in central Utah, killing the pilot and one crew member. The aircraft went down near Richfield, in the Three Creeks Reservoir area southwest of the city, as crews worked to contain one of the state's largest wildfires this year. Recovery efforts were delayed by extreme fire conditions and steep terrain, according to officials.The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane was operating under contract with the United States Forest Service when it crashed at about 10am local time on Friday, which was 16:00 GMT. The National Interagency Fire Center confirmed the deaths... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 09 Aug 2026 05:00 LONDON
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Ukraine warns of winter power crisis as Russian strikes kill four in Kyiv region
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the country could enter winter with virtually no working thermal power plants after overnight Russian strikes killed four people in the Kyiv region, including a three-year-old child. He made the remarks during a visit to Belgrade, where he said the latest attacks and shelling of frontline communities had killed 13 people in the previous 24 hours. The comments came as Ukraine continued to report damage from intensified long-range strikes on its energy system and civilian areas.Zelensky said Russian missiles were being used to make life unbearable for Ukrainians and again called for stronger... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 08 Aug 2026 20:59 LONDON
Greek authorities charge three over wildfire near Athens
Greek authorities have placed a town mayor, a contractor and a wind farm owner in pre-trial detention after charging them with arson over a wildfire that burned large areas near Athens last week. Investigators believe the blaze began on 31 July with a spark from power cables at a wind farm near Agios Vasileios, a seaside village at the foot of a mountain northwest of the capital. The fire spread rapidly in strong winds and reached areas about 40km from Athens.The mayor, Giannis Apostolou, leads the small town of Stylida and owns an electrical installation company linked to the wind... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 Aug 2026 12:32 LONDON
