When wildfires overwhelm an area, fire commanders face a dilemma akin to a doctor in an emergency room with too few ventilators.
This triage is becoming more onerous as blazes intensify across the Mediterranean and even in cooler countries like the UK.
>>> Fugitive Ronald Fischer Captured After 20 Years on the Run
“It’s not just about having more fires to fight, it’s the risk of operational collapse,” said César Alcaraz, an officer with Alicante’s provincial firefighters in Spain.
Alcaraz, who became a firefighter in the late 1990s, was once ambushed by a fast-moving blaze on Spain’s Montgó mountain.
Barely able to breathe and with no water left, he and his colleagues fled, wishing for more support.
Now he understands the agonizing choices commanders must make.
Simultaneous Blazes Overwhelm Resources
When two or three fires break out simultaneously, commanders are forced to make immediate triage decisions. This scenario is increasingly common as heatwaves turn vegetation into tinder.
France, Portugal, and Spain have each faced record-breaking wildfires for this time of year, leaving unprecedented areas in flames and 13 people dead in Spain.
The UK began a week with 19 separate wildfires, prompting experts to warn of a “firewave”.
In France, firefighters tackled 250-300 fires simultaneously over a recent three-week period, noted Julien Marion, head of the civil protection agency.
In Spain, firefighters used to dealing with a couple of blazes at a time now struggle with an increase in number and strength.
Wet winters and springs allow vegetation to flourish, leaving more fuel when it dries in summer.
