Fewer firefighters in Europe despite forest fires

Forest fires in Greece, floods in Slovenia and Austria: Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and the increasing heat and drought favor the spread of fires. Surprisingly, many European fire departments have cut staff. Slovakia (-30 percent), Bulgaria (-22 percent), Portugal (-21 percent) and Belgium (-19 percent) have seen the largest reductions, according to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).