Largest evacuation ever

Southern states damaged by fires

In July, whilst wildfires on mainland Greece continue to burn around Athens, on the island of Rhodes more than 80 wildfires forced over 30,000 of locals and tourists to flee with officials reporting it’s the “largest evacuation” ever in the country. Within days, over 2,500 were evacuated from Corfu on a single night.

Whilst in the south-west of the Mediterranean, Algeria and Tunisia are battling fatal wildfires. Some 8,000 personnel are firefighting in Algeria, where 10 soldiers were killed during an evacuation.

Drone-assisted rescue

A fire at the Changfeng Hospital in Beijing has killed 29 people. Twelve people, including the Director and Deputy Director of the hospital have been detained, as well as the head of the firm overseeing renovation works. A drone was used to communicate to trapped patients that help was on the way, and to stay calm and wait

PAKISTAN to be rescued. Approximately 70 people were evacuated by firefighters, who put the fire out within an hour.

It is reported that the fire was started by sparks generated by internal renovation works igniting flammable paint being used in the inpatient department of the hospital.

Four firefighters lose their lives

A fire at two adjacent factories in the port of Karachi, Pakistan has claimed the lives of four firefighters. Firefighters and rescue workers rushed to contain the fire, which lead to the buildings collapsing, killing the four firefighters, and injuring more than a dozen others. The cause of the blaze is still unknown, but it is thought that spread of the fire was due to that amount of goods stored inside being over the capacity of the building. A lack of fire doors and firefighting equipment in the building has also been reported. The fire comes shortly after the Pakistan Accord – a legally binding agreement between global union federations and garment brands and retailers, which looks to build on widespread safety improvements in factories - has been signed by more than 45 parties.

Environmental concerns are being raised in the aftermath of a fire on an oil rig in dry dock on the Mobile River in Alabama. More than 55 firefighters responded to the incident at the rig, which contained diesel, hydraulic fluid, oil and other potentially hazardous substances.

Whilst in Florida a fire claimed the lives of almost all the animals at a Florida Gulf Coast wildlife centre. The fire at the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Centre which was home to more than 250 animals was under control within an hour but almost all were killed.

Billions of dollars of goods lost

Five big markets, containing thousands of shops have been destroyed in Bangladesh, leaving at least eight people injured. Around 48 units of Fire Service and Civil Defense along with rescue teams from the army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Detective Branch (DB), and air force took part in the operation to contain the blaze. According to the fire service, two members of the force were among the injured who have been admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The fire took six hours to extinguish, during which time it’s thought that billions of dollars of goods have been lost, along with many families’ livelihoods.

Environmental terrorists

More than 100 fires appear to have been started intentionally in the Asturias region, and another 38 wild fires in the neighbouring Cantabria region. Authorities have labelled those who started the fires as “Environmental Terrorists” and are calling for the penalties for criminals who start fires to be increased.

Battery quality control needed

The government is being called on to subsidise safe e-bikes after a number of fires caused by a faulty battery, including one which claimed the lives of a family of four in London. Industry experts are pushing for better controls around the import of batteries from countries with less stringent regulations. Young people, who work in the UK’s “gig economy” as delivery couriers are thought to be more at risk, as they are more likely to buy lower end goods, and live in houses of multiple occupancy, with no external storage for the bikes.

Arson and murder charges

A 15 year old girl in the South American country of Guyana is facing charges of arson and murder as a school dormitory fire claimed 20 young lives. More than 24 students were also injured, including a 13 year old who has been flown for specialist treatment at the Northwell Burn Centre at the University Hospital in Staten Island, New York. All of the doors in the facility had been locked, to prevent the students sneaking out at night, this inevitably stopped the children escaping from the fire. The school’s alarm systems and fire preparedness efforts are also being investigated.