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Europeans are dying from hot weather 30% more than they did two decades ago, report findsScorching weather has baked Europe in more days of “extreme heat stress” than its scientists have ever seen.Heat-trapping pollutants that clog the atmosphere helped push temperatures in Europe last year to the highest or second-highest levels ever recorded, according to the EU’s Earth-watching service Copernicus and the World Meteorological...

Worst-ever fire season in 2023 saw 15m hectare burned, eight firefighters killed and 230,000 people evacuatedCanada risks another “catastrophic” wildfire season, the federal government has warned, forecasting higher-than-normal spring and summer temperatures across much of the country, boosted by El Niño weather conditions.Last year, Canada endured its worst-ever fire season, with more than 6,600 blazes burning 15m hectares (37m acres), an area roughly seven...

Year of devastating wildfires meant Canadians were breathing worse air than southern neighbours for first time everCanada’s pristine air quality has been long praised by its citizens and prized by its government. But the thick plumes of smoke and miles of haze released by a record-breaking season of wildfires deteriorated the country’s air so much that it has fallen behind the United States for...

Investigation by forest service into Smokehouse Creek fire says decayed Xcel Energy pole ‘had broken off at ground level’The biggest wildfire in Texas state history, which killed two people and scorched more than 1m acres, was caused by a power line pole that had decayed at the base, an investigation has concluded.The finding comes from a Texas A&M forest service investigation into the Smokehouse...

Governor issues disaster declaration as emergency crews work to contain dozens of wildfires burning across Texas PanhandleDozens of wildfires are causing chaos across the Texas Panhandle as the Smokehouse Creek fire – now the largest blaze in state history – grew to more than 1mn acres on Thursday, even as a dusting of snow brought a measure of relief.At least two people have died,...

Residents across state’s west told to take action while bushfire continues to burn near BallaratTrack fire warnings with Vic EmergencyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAuthorities were on high alert for bushfires as temperatures rose across Victoria on Wednesday afternoon, with the state’s control centre warning the state was not...

People who lost loved ones or were injured may be eligible for payout from fund announced Tuesday – but there’s a catchHawaii governor Josh Green unveiled on Tuesday a multimillion-dollar fund to compensate families of people who were killed on Maui during the deadliest wildfire in the nation in more than a century.The announcement marks the first phase of the $175m One Ohana Fund...

Unseasonably warm temperatures, strong winds and dry grasses fuel Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in the stateThe main facility that assembles and disassembles America’s nuclear arsenal shut down its operations on Tuesday night as fires raged out of control in Texas.Pantex issued a statement online saying it had paused operations until further notice. “The fire near Pantex is not contained,” the company said. “Response...

Temperatures tipped to climb above 40C in parts of the state on Wednesday with extreme fire conditions forecast in six weather districtsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastOfficials are rushing to set up a long-term base camp for hundreds of firefighters with more than half of Victoria on high alert...

Firefighters continue to battle blazes as they brace for temperatures to exceed 40C in western parts of the state this weekFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastSix homes have been destroyed by bushfires in Victoria, as authorities issue a warning of “grave concern” for fire danger in the state on...

Fires in Valparaíso said to be country’s deadliest disaster since 2010 earthquakeThe death toll from wildfires that ravaged central Chile for several days has risen to 131, and more than 300 people remain missing as the blazes appear to be burning themselves out.The fires in the Valparaíso region are said to be Chile’s deadliest disaster since an earthquake in 2010. Officials have suggested that...

Death count for Chile’s worst natural disaster in years expected to climb as official two-day mourning period beginsHelicopters dumped tonnes of water on wildfires raging across central Chile, as emergency crews said they were still finding bodies three days after the blazes took hold.The official death count from Chile’s worst natural disaster in years increased to 123 on Monday according to Marisol Prado, the...

People told to evacuate homes as quickly as possible and curfews declared in cities most heavily affectedFirefighters are wrestling with huge forest fires that broke out in central Chile on Friday. Officials have extended curfews in cities most heavily affected by the blazes and said the death toll has increased to 112 killed.The fires have been burning with the highest intensity around the city...

At least 46 people reported dead as dozens of fires sweep across central and southern regions, with Valparaíso worst affectedAt least 46 people have died from forest fires raging in central Chile, President Gabriel Boric has said, warning that the death toll is likely to rise.Earlier on Saturday, Chile’s interior minister, Carolina Tohá, said there were currently 92 forest fires in the centre and...

Identifying those who died has been arduous, with forensic experts and cadaver dogs sifting through ashHawaii officials said Friday that they had identified the last of the 100 known victims of the wildfire that destroyed Lahaina in August.The victim was Lydia Coloma, 70, Maui police said. Continue reading...

Dalton Clark Stewart, 22, accused of lighting Canada’s Barrington Lake fire, which burned for one month in 2023A Nova Scotia man has been charged for allegedly starting the eastern Canadian province’s largest-ever wildfire.The charges against Dalton Clark Stewart, 22, come only days after a Quebec man, inspired by conspiracy theories, pleaded guilty to 14 charges of arson after deliberately lighting forest fires. Continue reading...

The country saw record-breaking blazes during the summer and Brian Paré pleaded guilty to lighting more than a dozen firesA Canadian man who claimed forest fires were the result of a government conspiracy has pleaded guilty to lighting more than a dozen blazes during the country’s record-breaking wildfire season, as nearly 100 fires persist in drought-stricken regions.Brian Paré admitted to 13 counts of arson...