[8][9] As of mid-July, temperatures in Scandinavia were more than 10 °C (18 °F) above normal. Mark Parrington, a scientist in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, said that higher than usual temperatures and dry soil has made great conditions for unusually intense, hot blazes. Helicopters are water-bombing the blazes in bone-dry forests.

Learn more about how Statista can support your business. In Russia, flames engulfed more than 7 million acres in Siberia and beyond in August, forcing President Vladimir Putin to send military transport planes and helicopters across the country to put out the fires. You only have access to basic statistics. When those areas are burned, it releases thousands of years worth of carbon and methane into the atmosphere. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. [6], Sweden experienced an unusually long heatwave and had only 13 mm (0.51 in) of rain from the beginning of May to late July. In the summer of 2018, a large number of wildfires (primarily forest fires) occurred throughout much of Sweden.According to the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, they are the most serious in the country in modern history. Norway has also seen a few forest fires ahead of the season due to the unusually dry weather that burnt a few hectares of land. [25][26] Some water bombing aircraft returned to their own countries, but others remained in Sweden. The Swedish government called for international assistance—the second time this summer—and received firefighting airplanes and helicopters from Italy and Norway. Heat Wave Scorches Sweden as Wildfires Rage in the Arctic Circle A fire in Karbole, Sweden, on Sunday. Now, a cloud of smoke and soot bigger than the European Union is moving from Siberia into the Arctic, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. You need at least a Single Account to use this feature. But both the MSB and the Swedish Interior Minister Mikael Damberg said Sweden is "better prepared" than last year to face the forest fires. Nearly 400 fires have burned in Alaska so far in 2019, forcing residents in Fairbanks to open up hospitals for clean air, and lock themselves in their homes during the hot summer months. Available for everyone, funded by readers. The origins of the fires are most likely due to human activities such as barbecues or forest machinery, according to authorities. [28][29][30][31], Scandinavia temperature anomaly map, July 1–15, 2018 (NASA), "French soldiers land in Sweden to battle wildfire inferno", "What you need to know about Sweden's historic wildfire outbreak", "Så tog bränderna över den svenska sommaren", "EU nations help Sweden as wildfires rage above Arctic Circle", "Wildfires have ignited inside the Arctic Circle", "Sweden rushes firefighting aircraft to tackle fast-spreading wildfires", "Record-breaking heat hits Norway, Finland and Sweden", "Grillar orsaken till flera bränder i helgen", "Två skogsbränder härjar i Värmland – franska flyg hjälper till", "Dozens of wildfires are raging across Sweden", "In pictures: Fighting the Swedish wildfires", "250 km2 skov er brændt. The ongoing Arctic fires this year have been particularly severe in Siberia and Alaska.

April 3, 2019. Siberia was almost 10C higher in June than the long-term average, while Alaska had its second-warmest June on record, and on 4 July the mercury hit 32C (80F). which has tracked the blazes from satellites. "Number of Wildfires* in Sweden from 2008 to 2019. European Forest Fire Information System.

Swedish firefighters are tackling major wildfires in several areas north-west of the capital Stockholm. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. The warming there will translate to the East Coast [of the U.S.], contribute to sea level rise and affect people all over.". Besides health and environmental concerns, there's an economic toll too.

Lidingö-området = 31 km2", "Data shows Sweden's wildfire problem is unusual", "Flera byar evakuerade på grund av bränderna", "Flygvapnet släppte 270 kilo tung bomb över branden", "The Swedish town on the frontline of the Arctic wildfires", "Danske brandfolk bliver i Sverige mens andre tager hjem", "Skovbrande har hærget Sverige i tre uger: Nyt hold danske frivillige på vej", "Europæiske brandfolk er ved at forlade Sverige: Hjælpen har givet resultater", "Så länge stannar de utländska brandflygplanen i Sverige", "Flera skogsbränder i Sverige: "Det är öppna lågor, "MSB om skogsbränderna: "Ser riktigt illa ut, "Kraftig skogsbrand vattenbombas i Gislaved", "MSB: Stor risk för skogsbränder i hela landet - P4 Kalmar", Information on the wildfires from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, MSB, in swedish. All rights reserved. Over the last two months, it's unusual to see this scale. [4] Many people were evacuated from their homes,[5] but there were no fatalities. In 2019, over 7,860 wildfires have been recorded in California.