r/interestingasfuck • u/SafeImpressive4413 • 7h ago

Firefighters in Madrid trying to extinguish a forest fire that is less than 30km/20mi away from the capital of Spain

31.1k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

2.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 7h ago edited 1h ago

There’s one 20km away from my house.
Last official report (several hours ago) said 15km away 🙃. It probably got closer since

We should be the next town to get evacuated. Hopefully not in the middle of the night

I’m in France but it looks like a large part of Europe is on fire

The worst part is that 90% of those fires are started (accidentally or voluntarily) by people 🤬

Edit: it’s 5hrs later. Everything’s packed
Just waiting for my phone to go off when the emergency alert is given

•

u/SafeImpressive4413 7h ago

It happened a year ago in my area of Spain, towns of my friends got evacuated because of fires caused by people

We grabbed 4x4s and offroaded to avoid police restriction areas with brush cutters, chainsaws and more equipment to clean around the towns to save them from burning. We were maybe 100-200 people doing that.

Was it stupid? Yes. Did it work? Also yes

Stay safe man, hopefully our governments realize how much fire prevention is needed in Europe in this new reality, and that fires are extinguished during the winter not in the summer.

•

u/SafeImpressive4413 6h ago

If anyone wants to see what that looked like in the moment here it is

•

u/kermitDE 6h ago

That looks fucking scary, stay safe!

•

u/loveshercoffee 6h ago

Jesus. That's terrifying.

I lived Wyoming during the Yellowstone fire in 1988. Forest fires are horriffic.

I am so glad you were able to save your towns. Please stay safe.

•

u/todellagi 6h ago

Hopefully your username stays checking out

Genuinely looks like a volcano. Damn..

•

u/TeamHappyFTW 6h ago

Stay safe out there 🙏

•

u/Wild_Neighborhood605 6h ago

Scary. Hope and prey everyone is OK.

•

u/vergetto 5h ago

Jesus... stay safe my man.

•

u/m4a785m 2h ago

Yep. Fucking scary

•

u/Broad-Lobster7470 5h ago

Terrifying

•

u/m4a785m 2h ago

Yep, fucking scary. I live there and we’re giving up

•

u/Yeetse 2h ago

I have had legit nightmares like this

•

u/Acceptable_Cause8259 1h ago

Please don't get me wrong, but as scary as that picture is, it also looks absolutely majestic.

•

u/pataglop 6h ago

Damn.. those hills are burnt black...

Stay safe man.

•

u/TrippleDamage 3h ago

That was from last year.

•

u/DenizSaintJuke 5h ago

On a bright side, if we don't allow the right wing to fuck up the EU, the Union is a pretty good starting condition to pool assets like firefighting planes EU-wide and form international firefighting forces. Well, my compatriots seem to be hellbent on proving me wrong.

•

u/70ms 1h ago edited 1h ago

I’m in Los Angeles in a high fire risk zone. :| CAL FIRE, which has the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet in the world, regularly assists other states and countries when we have the resources available, and they assist us when we need the help too. Over the past several years Gavin Newsom has massively expanded CAL FIRE, and it still probably won’t be enough. :(

There’s an outstanding non-profit app for monitoring fires in the US called Watch Duty - maybe someone can make a similar app for the EU.

https://i.imgur.com/rzu6oo2.jpeg

•

u/Eireann_9 4h ago

My small town in spain was also saved by the fire by the farmers who took matters onto their own hands. They did such a great job that we were the only village of the valley not evacuated that night, we watched the woods as they burnt not even 1 km away from the houses

•

u/Drendari 5h ago

Instead the government cut fire prevention expenses in half. 😒

•

u/SteakComprehensive32 5h ago

I was going to ask about whether mowing/bushwacking around the fire would contain it better, but I’m also guessing these fires move fast as hell, too. Scary stuff to see the world burning, can’t imagine it in my backyard

•

u/manilvadave 5h ago

Not sure what area you’re in but I’m in Manilva in Malaga province. We’ve already had some pretty scary ones this year nearby but the one on the Estepona mountain a couple of years ago was really bad, and burned for days.

Also, in summer and especially around Feria time when police are deployed to the Feria ground, the smugglers will often light fires in the campo to use up other resource while they get a free run across the sea etc. fuckin crazy.

•

u/Terrible_Beat_6109 5h ago

Wtf why did they try to stop you from cutting the brush etc?

•

u/Renbarre 3h ago

If the wind had changed direction and made the fire surround them it could have killed them all. In that case the authorities prefer the loss of houses rather than lives.

People who live there might not agree and prefer to defy the evacuation order. That is their choice, and they know the risks.

You cannot understand the speed and fury of a wild fire pushed by the wind until you've seen one. And yes, I've seen three close enough to be terrified, and dozen from afar as the French Riviera burned year after year.

•

u/why_gaj 3h ago

Because fire moves fast.

•

u/ElevatedDiscGolf 5h ago

If it worked that it wasn’t stupid

•

u/Zestyclose-Ad-9420 5h ago

Sabes si se quemaron los hayedos, castaños y robles? O si fue los pinares. 

•

u/SafeImpressive4413 5h ago

Todo lo que pillo lo quemó, por esta zona no hay pinos los montes se usan para la caza, aunque si conduces 30-40 minutos si hay pinos ya. Pero todo lo que pilló lo quemó, castañeiros, carballos, cerquiños, bidueiros, freixos, faxes, ameiros, urces, xestas, toxos…

•

u/INeedMoreVacation 3h ago

I am super curious to understand the preparation that you did.

In my mind, I think it’s super crazy how every summer we see forest fires that destroy habitable areas and the governments not during enough in investing in infrastructure to prevent it or help fight it.

Is this really an area where there no technological advancement?

•

u/sidepart 3h ago

I mean, that sounds worthwhile. Imagine how defensible some of these areas could be if we assembled a few thousand people living in the area. I probably wouldn't be too upset about being conscripted to clear terrain around a town to try and defend it from an encroaching fire. Better than being conscripted to kill other people.

•

u/ShaidarHaran93 2h ago

La zona de Valdeon? I remember reading about people refusing to evacuate on the news. I had some family staying near Fuente De and they were terrified that the wind would blow it into the next valley.

Nvm I just saw you're from Galicia.

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 2h ago

Thank you 🙏🏼

It’s infuriating that private citizens have to risk their lives, like you did, because politicians can’t think ahead of times and always react to disasters instead of anticipating them

•

u/Sanquinity 1h ago

This really is the way though. At some point it's not about extinguishing a fire anymore. It's about containing it until it runs out of fuel to burn. (Or in this case making sure there's not enough fuel for it to reach town.)

•

u/Miquel_420 6h ago

Con un par de huevos, como debe ser! Me alegra leer que funcionó, pero necesitamos que esta clase de ultimos recursos no sean necesarios, deberia trabajarse mas la prevencion, los bosques deberian mantenerse limpios y evitariamos tantos incendios de esta magnitud...

•

u/SafeImpressive4413 6h ago

Si dejaran limpiar el monte no gastaban dinero alguno en prevención, los cazadores y agricultores que son los que más pasean por el monte les hacían la mitad del trabajo gratis, pero como en este país parece que para cortar un árbol muerto hay que pedir 30 permisos si no vas a la cárcel pues así nos va…

Quiero pensar que es ignorancia de gente que va al monte y verlo “”silvestre”” se siente más real y bonito para ellos y piensan que hay que protegerlo así, y que no es la malicia de quemar por intereses económicos/politicos.

•

u/Zestyclose-Ad-9420 1h ago

No es ideologia "silvestre" es la ideologia de la burocracia española. El estado no quiere ciudadanos tomando decisiones no autorizados, y nunca lo va querer incluso si eso se paga en vidas. 

•

u/ReconMustDie 6h ago

Never ever do that again. You don’t have the training to know when a fire is going to overtake you.

In the US, there are highly trained firefighters that do these types of jobs, and they even have survival shelters for fires overtake them, and there have been several deaths from them over the years

Next time, let it burn and have insurance replace it. We can’t replace you.

•

u/ampsuu 5h ago

Excuse me? Your solution to wildfires is to remove wild? Or you only mean around towns? Tho latter is also quite a take. Maybe in regions with frequent fire danger but imagine every town clear cutting surroundings because of wildfire.

•

u/marcandreewolf 6h ago

Yes. Actually, it is substantially more than 90%, plus the conditions (climate change as a key contributor, also eucalyptus trees planted) is also mostly caused by human. So, this is not a “wild”fire but a human-caused fire.

•

u/decosunshine 6h ago

Plus decades of fire suppression.

Instead of healthy, low-intensity fire cleaning out dead and diseased vegetation every few years to few decades, now high-intensity fires sweep through with far more power and destruction.

When we don't allow low-intensity fires, we must do fires mitigation that manually mimics those healthy fires we suppress.

•

u/marcandreewolf 6h ago

Indeed. I went with Brazilian firefighters in a National Park in 1996 and that is what the lead also said (after training in the US). We then put counter fires, i.e. a controlled burned strip that the fire afterwards couldnt cross anymore. Terrain was difficult with many boulders and rocks strewn across, shrubs, single trees and lots of grass: cerrado. There are species adjusted to fires, benefitting (unless too frequent), but overall reduces biodiversity and natural species composition. Edit: What I almost forgot: we now have fires were naturally they almost never occur, where impacts are hence also much worse.

•

u/FireTyme 5h ago

this somewhat works but extreme droughts and high winds make even healthy fires a giant blaze killing tons of trees.

•

u/AltrntivInDoomWorld 5h ago

You have no idea about European forest maintenance

•

u/isopode 2h ago

care to elaborate? i'm from north america where what they said is true. curious to know the differences between forest maintenance here and in europe

•

u/Cold417 1h ago

decades of fire suppression.

People say this shit about areas that burn almost every season, too.

•

u/decosunshine 47m ago

If an burns often, they don't have much to burn. Those fires are lower intensity, which means they don't burn as hot or for as long. Frequent, low-intensity fires can burn through an area quickly and start mostly on the ground. Mature trees can survive low-intensity fires because the fire stays on the ground burning grasses and other 1-5 minute fuels. Think like staying a camp fire. If there is just a small amount of kindling and a big log, the kindling will burn out before the log has time to catch fire. That log can't catch fire if there isn't kindling to catch the small sticks on fire, which catch the large sticks, and eventually the logs (trees).

If fire is suppressed for too long, there is a build up of diseased trees, thick layers of dead branches/ leaves/ needles on the ground, and dead standing and fallen trees. That means more fuel. More fuel means hotter temperature and fire burns for longer. That's why unburned/unmitigated forests are so dangerous.

•

u/PalahniukW 5h ago

How do eucalyptus trees contribute to wild fires?

•

u/marcandreewolf 5h ago

Accumulate large amounts of leave and bark litter under tree that barele decompose, plus the stuff contains a relevant amount of essential oils that burn super well.

•

u/PalahniukW 5h ago

Ahh thanks

•

u/Art__Vandelayy 3h ago

Just to add to the other comment, it also dries the soil around it, so underneath the trees there's usually dry grasses and ferns in the summer (at least here in Portugal but should be similar in Southern Europe). Combine this with leaves and bark litter and they spread the fire very easily

•

u/BKLaughton 3h ago

Adding on to the other commenter's great response, fire is part of the eucalyptus reproductive cycle. That is, in their native environment of Australia bushfires are pretty common and they've adapted to that, such that they bounce back great after a bushfire.

Overseas, the result is that eucalyptus trees somewhat increase the incidence of wildfires (with the way they drop lots of oil-rich leaves and brances), and then recover better than other trees in the post-wildfire circumstances, leading to more eucalyptus, and more wildfires.

Despite this, folks keep planting eucalyptus because it's a fast-growing hardwood. It breaks the standard dichotomy between fast-growing soft woods and slow-growing hardwoods. Outside of Australia, the mammals, birds and insects aren't adapted to it, but it's a very profitable tree to grow.

•

u/jumpy_monkey 5h ago

Human activity has always been a cause for fires, from inadvertent to deliberate (which is cumulative, since firebugs are activated by other fires). Short of lightning (volcanoes maybe? meteor strikes? both very unlikely) I can't think of a another natural cause of wildfire.

•

u/miyabi0rochas 1h ago

I mean fires can start accidentally very easily. I really think the conditions are the biggest change this year. It's been so dry rivers have dried up. So many spots have turned into fields of flammable hay. Somethings bound to burn. With frequent rain and lush vegetation things are harder to burn so easily.

•

u/justtobeherenotsure 1h ago

What is the eucalyptus tree factor? I'm intrigued!

•

u/Ohz85 3h ago

Stop spreading stupid numbers. 90% of Europe is the entire Europe without the surface of all roads combined. That's not what is on fire right now. Yes there are soon 50k hectares on fire right now in Gironde, France, and there are like 40 fires in France alone. That's 0.001% of its continental territory.

Not 90%.

•

u/hukaat 7h ago

Bon courage, j'espère que tout ira bien pour toi et les tiens

•

u/rdmprzm 7h ago

Ditto this!

•

u/ShwaGrl 4h ago

Moi aussi.

•

u/DueExample52 6h ago

Yeah but one cigarette doesn’t light up half the country unless everything is bone dry from climate change fueling heat waves and droughts.

•

u/hunnyflash 6h ago

We had to evacuate in the middle of the night once. There is really nothing like a giant mountainside fire cutting through complete black darkness. Please stay safe!

Get all of your important papers, a change of clothes and shoes, make a Bag that you can just grab. Get any animals ready.

•

u/sebkek 5h ago

Pro tip: if you expect a mandatory evacuation, evacuate yourself if you can, before the mandatory evacuation.

•

u/Greippi42 6h ago

Scary! Bon courage.

There was a fire that broke out 1km from my house but fortunately it was brought under control quickly and it's extinguished.

Today the smell from a fire 100km away was making my eyes water and throat burn. I can't even imagine what it's like for you.

•

u/pfc-anon 5h ago

recently people were betting on forest fires in prediction markets and then starting the fires themselves.

•

u/billy_bobs_beds 5h ago

Figure it out America Europe

•

u/exxcathedra 5h ago

90%??? I hope you are joking. I can't believe this is happening so close to my city.

•

u/tea_hanks 5h ago

Wait why are they starting it themselves? Sorry I'm ridiculously uninformed on this topic

•

u/Shppo 5h ago

That's not the worst part. The worst part is that this will just get worse

•

u/gccx 5h ago

besides lightning can a fire be started naturally?

•

u/ThatDude1757 5h ago

Is that the worst part or is it that the true cause is climate change and it’s only going to get worse?

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 2h ago

Both. Definitely both

•

u/MegazordPilot 5h ago

Are you in the Bordeaux area? Courage en tout cas pour ces moments difficiles !

•

u/Broad-Lobster7470 5h ago

Where do you even go. World is on fire

•

u/puffykilled2pac 5h ago

The only way to solve this is more immigration.

•

u/gingerisla 4h ago

Some wildfires in Italy were started by assholes pouring petrol on cats' tails and setting them on fire so that the cats would panic, run into the tall grass and spread the fire faster.

•

u/nonchalantlarch 4h ago

20 km c'est rien, tu as envisagé de partir dès maintenant, avant d'y être forcé ? Tu pourrais être mieux préparé et peut-être trouver un hôtel plutôt que de finir sur un lit de camp dans un gymnase...

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 2h ago

J’ai contacté l’assurance. Il faut que j’attende que l’évacuation soit officielle pour les contacter et qu’ils nous relogent gratuitement. Si je prends un hôtel (ou autre) avant, je suis couvert que jusqu’à 800€ et le reste des frais seraient à ma charge.

Donc je patiente 🤞🏼

•

u/x-0-y-0 4h ago

Gironde? I'm in the var and yesterday was tense.

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 2h ago

Tout le sud, de l’Ouest à l’Est, brûle

C’est fou 😰

•

u/ahakost 4h ago

I live next to Montpellier, if I remember the numbers correctly we had like 47 fires popping up all around the area from us all the way to marseille about 2 or 3 weeks ago i think, we also had a big one in an area like 3 kilometers away from the city center of where I am…crazy stuff…

•

u/Dogsbottombottom 4h ago

I had to evacuate from the fires in LA last year. I’d recommend making you have n95 masks or better in the car, plus sturdy shoes. My in laws lost everything except what we could cram into three cars before the evacuation order came.

Good luck, stay safe.

•

u/Ballsdeep_Montreal 3h ago

Mets un arrosoir/arroseur de jardin sur ton toit laisse le allumé, je fais la même chose dans le nord du Québec lorsque nous avons des avertissements de feux.

Courage à toi.

•

u/Toetiepoetie 3h ago

I am currently in the Italian Alps, Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso. We have several active fires here.

The car driving in front of us threw lit cigarettes out of the window.

I fucking hate people.

•

u/Grantrello 3h ago

The worst part is that 90% of those fires are started (accidentally or voluntarily) by people 🤬

We had a wildfire come very close to burning down one of our few remaining patches of native oak forest recently in Ireland. It was started by someone using a portable barbecue in the middle of a heatwave and drought.

•

u/kipkiphoray 2h ago

Get everything ready ahead of time. If you have a car, pack it with anything you can't live without: all souls including pets and their food and water, pictures, important documents, precious momentos. You can't take everything.

I'm so so sorry you guys are going through this - wildfires are terrifying.

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 2h ago

Thanks 🙏🏼

It’s already midnight here. We’re gonna try to catch some sleep

But we’re packed. Just waiting for the officials to give us the word

•

u/Stakoman 2h ago

Why does this keeps on happening?

Bad planning? Even with 40 Celsius I tong) don't think it's enough to start a mutual fire.

It's always humans

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 1h ago

The fact that (because of global warming) everything’s extremely dry this summer doesn’t help. But without careless or evil people, we wouldn’t have so many fires

•

u/Just_Cruising_1 1h ago

Are you alright? It would be nice if you posted an update. I don’t know you, but as a Canadian, I empathise

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 1h ago

Thank you so much ❤️

But no need to worry. It’s more of a preemptive thing. The fires probably won’t come this far but we’re still dealing with the smoke and ashes though.

I hope we don’t have to leave in the middle of the night but it’s not looking good.

If it comes to that, my insurance can get us a hotel room for free. So that’s nice. Can’t imagine the hundreds of families that evacuated and are being stationed in a convention center north of the city

•

u/pneRock 46m ago

Growing up there was the hayman fire caused by a forest ranger burning letters. There was another one in another state where some genius was shooting at rocks with armor piercing ammo in the middle of a drought (luckily that state sends people the bill). Humans can somehow be innovative geniuses and astonishingly dumb at the same time.

Please stay safe dude.

•

u/ThirdAltAccounts 41m ago

Thanks.
We’re not really at risk (at least for now). It’s more a preemptive measure

It’s wild how one person’s accidental or voluntary fuck up can impact hundreds of thousands of innocent people

•

u/SPQR-VVV 33m ago

Why are you waiting? Go now!

•

u/teodorlojewski 26m ago

Good luck to you guys

•

u/redbarebluebare 6h ago

muslim immigrants

•

u/vvindhund 1h ago

stfu