FOREST FIRES
September 1st, 2003
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DATA released by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has shown the wide extent of the fires that have this year ravaged the world's forests. In Europe, Portugal has been particularly hard hit, with 417,000 hectares being burnt so far this year, compared with 123,910 in all of last year. France has lost 54,000 hectares of woodland this year, 20,850 in 2002. The USA has also suffered, 2.8 million hectares burning this year to date, and 1.7 million last year.
DATA released by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has shown the wide extent of the fires that have this year ravaged the world's forests. In Europe, Portugal has been particularly hard hit, with 417,000 hectares being burnt so far this year, compared with 123,910 in all of last year. France has lost 54,000 hectares of woodland this year, 20,850 in 2002. The USA has also suffered, 2.8 million hectares burning this year to date, and 1.7 million last year.
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