BRUSSELS – Greece, Italy and Central Europe are set to face heightened wildfire risk in the coming weeks, threatening further disasters even as blazes continue to rage in Spain and France, the head of the EU’s emergency response centre said on Wednesday.
Maria Zuber, head of the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre, said the ongoing heatwave meant the next few days would be “very difficult” in France, but that other countries should also prepare for imminent potential disasters.
“The next risk, it’s already moving to Greece and also Central Europe,” Zuber told reporters on Wednesday.
“Greece for the moment was spared, and now we see that it will go to Greece. Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if (it is) there as well, we will have all Europe on fire,” she said.
The forecast reflects weather conditions that help fires ignite and spread rapidly, such as high temperatures, dry air, wind and a lack of rain.
