Greek fires

Would be good if international communities were willing and able to share their experiences and expertise about how to mitigate what is becoming a more widespread problem.

I’m surrounded by trees. The leaves fill my gutters and some of the branches touch my house. But I’m going to have to pay to have them cut back because the farmer whose land they’re on won’t.

We have to pay ,too, even though some of the trees are from the council reserve adjacent to us and are so large they hang over our roof. Costalotta as they say. Only hundreds of dollars, they must think we are rich or sumfink!

Maremia

Would be good if international communities were willing and able to share their experiences and expertise about how to mitigate what is becoming a more widespread problem.

The EU do this through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, Knowledge Network. Apart from information and knowledge sharing trained personnel, equipment and aircraft are also available to EU countries if needed.

Wildfires - European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations share.google/zJXpJewsOMMRFJWUG

UK is not part of this organisation, though we doubtless should be.

I think we often lend our fire fighting helicopters to the Canadians and vice versa in the event of bushfires. Most years it is needed, sadly.

nanna8

They have been showing some awful footage of the fires in Greece. So sad , people losing their homes and livelihoods. Also the houses which have been destroyed all over Europe including the UK. A timely warning for us - we have been asked to start clearing gutters and preparing for the bushfire season which comes round every year round here. Trees are protected where I live and they are beautiful but they do pose a risk. Our house is surrounded by them so I always worry.
What can be done to prevent these events ? Perhaps, like we have to do, volunteers should be recruited on a permanent basis? Perhaps vehicle use should be restricted to help cool the environment? They do this in Beijing but then they are always ahead in so many ways. When we were there you could only use your private car on designated days.

My husband worked in Athens for a while a few years ago and you could only drive for half the week, depending on your registration plate. Not sure if this is still going on.

I think we have to tackle car use.
Some of my nearest & dearest are really good & think about every journey / don't have a car. The rest are just heedless. I'm somewhere in the middle but having a baby grandson & some of the warnings coming out now have really made me think that I need to get an electric car or at least a hybrid.
DH will be cross but I am starting to feel really guilty & I could just about afford a 2nd hand one.

Maremia

Would be good if international communities were willing and able to share their experiences and expertise about how to mitigate what is becoming a more widespread problem.

Most definitely.
Great idea.👍

The key is better water management in the hands of the country, not private companies that ridiculously are owned by other countries. It's a disgrace that after just a few weeks of heatwave we have tinder box lawns and fields and trees with crispy leaves. We then get hose pipe bans which damage the environment while car washes remain open and people can still wash their vehicles. Our trees and grass are necessary to our eco-system, clean cars aren't. So to those who are worried about dried grass and trees near their property, I would say water what you can when the sun has gone down and try to keep them damp. Also, a tough ban on bbqs and on all outdoor festivals where camping attracts large numbers of people who are there to enjoy themselves rather than to protect the environment and others is necessary. It's the only way forward given that these wildfires are now commonplace and predictable.

It amazed me when news quoted “Burnham considers whether to ban portable BBQ’s”
What is there to consider, and why wait until we are facing the 5th heatwave. Why does it need the Prime Minister to make a decision.
The shops selling portable bbq’s, burners and fire pits etc. should have removed them for sale immediately when we entered the first heatwave. Not to mention that people should use their own common sense.

Thanks for that information OldFrill.
Maybe time to join.

canada sents waterplans to italy

and www.cbc.ca/news/world/canadair-water-bombers-de-havilland-europe-demand-9.7299520

MayBee70

I’m surrounded by trees. The leaves fill my gutters and some of the branches touch my house. But I’m going to have to pay to have them cut back because the farmer whose land they’re on won’t.

Get your environmental health folks on the case as his refusal and constant leaves is a nuisance.

I log a complaint regularly and they send a letter about a nearby hedge that blocks the pavement and it gets cut a bit.