More than a dozen forest fires in Sweden out of control

This is actually a summer picture book in Sweden: temperatures above 30 degrees, in many places it has barely rained for weeks or not at all. But exceptionally hot weather also has negative sides. In the country, which is also very popular with German tourists, more than 40 fires are raging in the middle of the holiday season. In the meantime, more than 80 smaller and larger fires have even been reported.

"About 15 fires are currently out of control," Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said Thursday afternoon during a visit to one of the most affected regions. "The risk that new fires break out is great." The day before, the crisis teams had ordered to evacuate their first villages, and many others were in danger of being also affected by the flames.

Already burning an area larger than in 2014

Even in the Swedish part of Lapland, in the Arctic Circle, several fires broke out. In the forests near Jokkmokk, a popular tourist destination, it burned in several places. After all, the reports of dead or wounded in the country did not exist until now. However, a relaxation is not predictable. The Swedish weather service maintains the country's fire warnings – and temperatures should not drop over the next seven days.

The ESM confirmed Thursday that a larger area is already burning than in 2014. The fire in the Västmanland province was previously considered the heaviest in Sweden since the 1950s. that time, burned about 14,000 hectares. According to official sources, even in the provinces of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Dalarna and Norrbotten, more hectares were already burning Thursday afternoon. According to the MSB, firefighters from all over the country gathered at the fire sites and many of them stopped their holidays

Johan Wendin (28) and Annelie Åkerblom (55) live in Gävleborg. Their village Kårböle in the municipality of Ljusdal about 350 kilometers north of Stockholm had to be evacuated in the night from Thursday to Thursday. "We could only take the most important absolute.The flames had almost shut us down." At home, it looks like a war zone. "Terrible," said Åkerblom of the newspaper "Expressen". In a few hours, the fire zone had doubled, as said a spokesman for the relief service of the newspaper "Aftonbladet". Then the inhabitants were put safe

On a military training ground about 50 kilometers from the border with Norway, where it burns in some places like Finland, it was so hot Thursday because of fire in the area,

Italy sends two firefighting aircraft

The MSB agency said that two Italian firefighting aircraft were already supporting local first aiders and that Norway had sent six helicopters. According to a large number of firefighters, the special aircraft from sunrise to sunset could be used, said an Italian driver to the SVT television channel.

But that is not enough: in the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Swedes for help – more aircraft would be needed. And forest fires have also put the Swedish government under pressure. The conservative opposition party Kristdemokraten criticized the fact that Sweden is 70% forest but owns its own planes.

Prime Minister Löfven said that during the visit to Ljusdal, this discussion should take place later. Now it is about extinguishing fires. The Social Democrat thanked all the badistants: "It is a difficult job.I would like to point out that this is nothing but heroic deeds, which we see here and in many of them. Other places in our country. "

Military can not call back personnel on leave

Military helicopters equipped for the fight against fire, only three are used. Swedish army spokesman Mikael Abrahamsson told the newspaper "Dagens Nyheter" that fighting fire is not a military task. Laws do not suggest keeping staff waiting. The army has already made several missions with helicopters, at some point the load limit has been reached. "And we are not allowed to recall vacation people."