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FIRES ARE CONTINUING to burn near the French Riviera with new pockets of flames foiling the best efforts of crews to douse them.
Despite calmer winds and cooler weather, the fire that has forced thousands to flee and ravaged woodlands raged for a fourth day on Thursday, defying some 1,200 firefighters struggling to bring it under control.
The blaze, which has killed two people and injured 26, is the latest among numerous large wildfires to have scorched the Mediterranean region this summer.
The spokesman for the regional fire service, Florent Dossetti, called it one of the worst forest fires to hit southern France in centuries.
The fire has burned 8,100 hectares of forest since it started on Monday about 24 miles inland from the coastal resort of Saint-Tropez.
Several thousand people have been forced to evacuate campgrounds, hotels and homes across the region at the height of summer vacation in France.
In addition to chestnut, oak and pine trees, the blaze has consumed vineyards on the rolling hills of the low-lying Maures mountain range.
One family desperately shovelled dirt on flames in a vain attempt to protect their vines.
Smoke swept through wooded valleys as sirens wailed and the propellers on firefighting helicopters whipped overhead.
Earlier in the day, local authorities had said the fire was “less violent and its progression has slowed”.
Strong winds coming off the Mediterranean Sea that had fanned the flames calmed overnight.
High temperatures in the region, which had reached 40C (104F) in recent days, were dropping.
But new bursts of flames ignited in three spots Thursday, complicating firefighting efforts, Dossetti said.
“We are working on drowning the edges (of the fire) to ensure it is extinguished, and to avoid new bursts of flames,” Dossetti said.
The regional administration warned that the risk of new flames remained high, and kept several roads closed.
About 2,000 people evacuated from campgrounds earlier in the week were allowed to return, the administration said in a statement, though thousands of other evacuees remained housed in temporary shelters.
In the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, huge water-bombing planes could be seen swooping down to fill their bellies with water to dump across the flaming Riviera backcountry.
Reinforcements came in from elsewhere around France.
This summer has brought extreme heat, drought or wildfires to many parts of the world.
Scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving such extreme weather events, and that the world will see more and more of them as the planet warms.
Wildfires this summer have left areas in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Algeria and Spain in smouldering ruins.
In Greece on Thursday, hundreds of Greek and Polish firefighters battled a major wildfire decimating a pine forest northwest of the Greek capital for a fourth day.
The fire near the village of Vilia, about 37 miles from Athens, has already burned through thousands of hectares, destroyed some homes and led to evacuation orders for several villages in the area. Strong winds forecast for later in the day could complicate firefighting efforts.
On the Croatian island of Hvar, a large fire that broke out overnight torched bushes, olive trees and some pine forests.
About 50 fire lorries and three firefighting planes were being used to control the blaze.
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They should use the Administrative rather than Traditional counties for their list. That way, you could split Dublin into 3 and Cork/Galway into 2. Why would an outbreak in Cork City for example justify closure of every day life in rural west cork? Similarly, you could take action in a more localised fashion in Dublin.
@LangerDan: problem is that people have been so conditioned from a young age in these traditional counties that they don’t realise they don’t exist anymore. Try telling Anto from Neilstown that he can’t go shopping in Ballyfermot and he’ll have a field day. Should have drummed into people that your GAA team doesn’t mean anything for most things.
@LangerDan: go away ya Langer
@nazi killer: traditional counties ? They are the counties
@Jonnie Marre: I know you’re probably lacking in brain cells, but my idea is to essentially avoid unnecessary lockdowns in areas that don’t need them. By splitting Dublin into the 3 administrative counties, you could avoid lots of misery if a lockdown is required.
@LangerDan: ah that’s called commen sense!!! Something I don’t think our government have
@LangerDan: Honestly, doesn’t matter what govt or health officials say. Just come from local spar shop; 3 builders getting food. 2 wearing masks, no distancing, non-mask gent wearing hi-viz advising mask and distancing!! I said it to the assistant. B she just said there is no point you just get grief – she was afraid to.
@Côte D’oherty: Dublin is already 4 countries. There is no political entity called Dublin. Administrative areas are a good way to divide it, unfortunately all of the Dublin regions are equally over 3%.
@LangerDan: good idea but still leaves some counties lumped togetherness where it just doesn’t make sense. Wicklow has high numbers of cases but vast majority were around north of the county in commuter belt. The south of the county had hardly any cases.
@LangerDan: Dublin is split into four administrative areas – Fingal, Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin.
@Bernard Sweeney: Yes. For some reason I completely forgot about Dublin City Council when writing my comment. Point stands.
@LangerDan: Might work in Cork and Galway, but if you split Dublin up and open pubs in the safer areas, it’s far to easy to hop on a bus, Dart or Luas to an open pub 20 minutes away, witch would just spread it more. As it is now I’d imgine Bray and Graystones pubs will be hammered by Dubliners as they’re easy to get to, and almost considered part of Dublin due to Dart stations.
I needn’t have bothered watching the press conference as I’m no clearer now than I was before on what’s being said. Just a lot of spin and waffle. Where are the actual steps to be taken?
@Monica Anderson: agreed, talk about more confusion
They keep saying ‘Very worrying numbers in Dublin’
Over one quarter of the countries population live in Dublin, so of course the numbers are going to be higher in the capital.
Especially after most things reopening and people returning to work, kids to school, using public transport etc.
A quarter of the population lives in Dublin, so if things were going well then a quarter of the cases would be in Dublin. Instead it is half the cases are in Dublin – double the rate one would be expecting. Its an indication that Dublin must be addressed separately, and unfortunately for those in Dublin, that means more restrictions than those not in Dublin
@What’s it feel like to be a ghost?: bigger population means numbers are obviously gonna be higher but when it’s compared to counties with smaller numbers population wise that’s when it starts to look worse for the smaller populated counties.
Love to see what Dublin needs to do to get to level 5! Every Dubliner having the virus!
@Munster1: building up immunity is the way out of this
@Munster1: just stop the fascists holding rallies,
@Munster1: it’s sick that you take joy in that.
@Munster1: six major hospitals in the city reaching capacity I’d say.
@Tony Stack: You lead the way on that Tony and give me a shout when the Plaque is gone. Cheers.
Only got to hear the first bit of the speech on Dermot & Dave but man that Mícheál Martin can spew a hell of a lot of word salad without actually saying anything of importance.
I don’t believe it… feel so sorry for these publicans. The government have identified a scapegoat industry and have just refused to let up. Are they completely dumb to the fact people can’t go 6 months without business ?! And then they let those bloody anti maskers go protesting instead & cram 30 kids into a classroom. Bad call (again)
@Côte D’oherty: be quiet and go and play with your Ann summer toys you weird0.
@Côte D’oherty: altho the anti mask weirdos should be bet.
@Côte D’oherty: they can buy an oven and cook some €2 oven pizzas for their patrons to not eat, if they really want to re-open. Pubs all over the country are open. Pubs that are still closed have made a business to decision to remain closed.
@JDel: or some cold sambos that they sell for €9, wrapped in cling film. The patrons can take them home and have them for lunch the next day. Publicans that haven’t sone something similar have only themselves to blame.
@Côte D’oherty: the priority was to get schools back for kids and it was the right thing to do in my opinion, that does not take away from the fact this is hard on the wet pubs but they do have the option to open with soup and a sandwich.
@JDel: You need to be licensed to sell food to the public in Ireland which involves huge preparation and a lot of expense before you even put that cheap pizza in the oven.
You haven’t a clue!
@Tracy Costello: schools only back and while lots of negative testing, the asymptomatic spread had yet to be seen. “Granny babysitter” funerals might be the next big problem. The kids who go to pubs are going to them anyway, and irresponsibly spreading wildly with half assed mask usage and “just the mates” drinking sessions. Open pubs, increase school testing, enforce mask usage.
@Will: Huge preparation? 6 months sitting around doing nothing not enough time then?
@Bren: 6 months sitting around earning no money. How are you supposed to pay for it all? Go ask the bank for a loan for a business that’s hanging by a thread?
@Will: I’m fairness there’s a huge amount of outdoor food vendors that normally work at big events out of work who already have all the required certs to serve food. Any pub could make a deal with one of these food vendors, take the order at the table and bring the food in. Some places doing this already.
@Will: This is the problem. No forward looking solutions. Times have moved on from wet only pubs. You can’t join the 21st century then it’s hard luck I’m afraid. Sure didn’t pubs use to be the local shop, post office, etc back in the day?
@Will: Nope. My local starting doing pre-packed sambos a month ago. Tiny place that holds 30 people and no kitchen. If other pubs can’t do the same, then they deserve to go out of business.
Black pints matter !
@Ray de Róiste: ha ha ha ha ha ha
Can you see The Dart of a Friday evening heading to Bray?? I would hate to be on the last one back.
Is that the culchies satisfied now or what?
@The God Of All Nerds: happy that dubs have messed things up for themselves? Or happy that they’ve stuck to guidelines and are getting back to normal?
@The God Of All Nerds: yeah cos the Jackeens are obviously more sophisticated and understanding of the guidelines right? That’s why you’re getting locked down, understand? Simples. You weren’t very sympathetic when Kildare, Laois and Offaly got level 4 lock down. So do one you mong
@The God Of All Nerds: No y’ere still not in lockdown, stay at hm and wash yere hands.
@Jonathan Gildea: only Dubs live in Dublin?
The 4 W’s (1) FF= Waster, (2) FG=Waffler, (3) Green= Wobblers, (4) Combination = *ankers.
Glad they are staying shut
@Jonnie Marre: hope you’ve no publicans in the family, Christmas could be tough
@Jonnie Marre: hope you’ve no publicans in the family, Christmas could be tough
@Jonnie Marre: remember that when there’s mass unemployment next year.
@Jonnie Marre: why? No pubs have caused new cases. Yet shopping centers etc are jammed & no social distancing & no contact tracing
It’s a crazy situation and it’s not going to be solved anytime soon unfortunately.
Shocking decision, its hilarious the pubs are still getting the blame and they are not even open ! Killing businesses and ruining lives with theese decisions.
It’s going to kick off I fear .
Dublin pub owners need to appeal to the public to stick to the social distancing the guide lines to get the numbers down.
Watch now as the wet pubs that cannot open in Dublin
start reporting their neighbouring pubs who are open by pretending to serve meals and are not adhering to the time limits that a customer has to observe. The dogs on every street know the guidelines are being flouted by many pubs at present.
A clear, straightforward five level
Plan …. except that they’ve already fudged that clear, straightforward plan by immediately adding a level 2.5 for all the “special princesses” in Dublin who might be upset if they don’t get the same level as everyone else. This bunch of totally inept flounderers obviously couldn’t organise a “party” in a brewery (or wet pub)!
Its clear now for the Jackeens, stay home in your own gaffs and wash yous hands.
What about going to matches? I’d take that over a pint now.
Pubs on the Dublin border will clean up
Does this apply to the whole of county Dublin or just Dublin. Not clear.
wait for invaders such as Amazon .Google and all these big techs and multi billion companies to take over everything even the pubs and small businesses when they are closing down.
funny how what qualifies as Level 4 for us culchies is only Level 2.5 for Dubs. If they all arrive down at the weekend and pox us all you can bet your ass we’ll be back on Level 4 or will that be 3.9
have your say