- Senegal set to announce breakaway development agenda: PM
- UN says 2 peacekeepers wounded in south Lebanon explosions
- Injury-hit Australia thrash 'embarrassing' Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
- Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being
- Israel says fired at 'immediate threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- New US coach Pochettino hails Pulisic but worries over workload
- Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
- UK govt urged to raise pro-democracy tycoon's case with China
- Sculptor Lalanne's animal creations sell for $59 mn
- From Tesla to Trump: Behind Musk's giant leap into politics
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Djokovic proves staying power as he progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Sheffield Utd boss Wilder 'numb' after Baldock death
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- Fans immerse themselves in Marina Abramovic's first China exhibition
- Israel says conducting review after UN peacekeepers wounded in Lebanon
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Djokovic 'overwhelmed' after 'greatest rival' Nadal's retirement
- Zelensky in Berlin says hopes war with Russia will end next year
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Djokovic proves staying power as progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Hurricane Milton leaves at least 16 dead as Florida cleans up
- Britain face 'ultimate challenge' in America's Cup duel with New Zealand
- Lebanon calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- Nihon Hidankyo: Japan's A-bomb survivors awarded Nobel
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Boat captain rescued clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after storm Milton
- Tears, warnings after Japan atomic survivors group win Nobel
- 'Unspeakable horror': the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- Christian villagers 'trapped' in south Lebanon crossfire
- Sabalenka sets up Gauff showdown in Wuhan semis
- EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
- Kim Sei-young holds lead with late birdies at LPGA Shanghai
- Toulouse welcome Dupont 'boost' as Olympic star returns to Top 14
- Japanese atomic bomb survivor group Nihon Hidankyo wins Nobel Peace Prize
- Deadly Israeli strike on Beirut likely targeted Hezbollah security chief
- Bangladesh Islamist chief backs crimes against humanity trial for ex-PM
- Everest climber's remains believed found after 100 years
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack
- Clashes on South China Sea, Ukraine dominate Asia summit
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Zelensky meets Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- Hello Hallyu: why is South Korean culture sweeping the globe?
- UK economy rebounds in August in boost to new govt
- Voice of Japan's beloved robot cat 'Doraemon' dies
RIO | 0.67% | 67.293 | $ | |
BTI | 0.21% | 35.185 | $ | |
BP | -0.48% | 32.185 | $ | |
GSK | -1.15% | 38.765 | $ | |
CMSC | 0.32% | 24.67 | $ | |
RBGPF | -1.03% | 59.49 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.6% | 24.919 | $ | |
RYCEF | 1.71% | 7 | $ | |
AZN | 0.43% | 77.205 | $ | |
NGG | 0.88% | 66.26 | $ | |
SCS | 2.06% | 12.865 | $ | |
RELX | 1.04% | 46.845 | $ | |
VOD | -1.03% | 9.641 | $ | |
JRI | 0.3% | 13.26 | $ | |
BCC | 1.77% | 141.459 | $ | |
BCE | 0.56% | 33.045 | $ |
Women train to fight fire with fire in Portugal
Women from around the world gathered in northwest Portugal this week to practise a traditional technique of deliberately burning land to prevent the kind of wildfires -- intensified by climate change -- that have killed hundreds across Europe.
In the hills above the Portuguese town of Paredes de Coura, women used drip torches to set fire to thorny patches of scrubland, creating grazing areas for livestock.
"What these women are learning here is essentially the use of traditional fire. The fire that our ancestors used to renew the pastures and also as a means of controlling combustible materials," says Cristina Azurara, northern regional coordinator for the Portuguese fire-management agency AGIF.
Wildfires killed more than 100 people in Portugal in 2017 and burned through hills covered in pine and eucalyptus trees. Across Europe, increasingly intense heatwaves have blackened thousands of acres of land over the past two years.
Compared to wildfires, the so-called prescribed or controlled fires have a "smaller impact on the earth while creating greater biodiversity", says rural fire specialist and trainer Emmanuel Oliveira.
The technique identifies which trees to burn based on weather conditions, vegetation moisture and how well smoke disperses.
Some 40 firefighters and researchers came from 20 countries for Europe's first Women's Traditional Fire Training Exchange (WTREX), an initiative established in the United States in 2016.
- Growing women's roles -
WTREX also aims to increase the role of women in fire management, traditionally dominated by men.
"I come from a country where, for a long time, women were only allowed to work in confined spaces such as offices or in places that weren't outdoors," says Mexican student Laura Ponce, 39. "Here we are bringing about a change... and that's important."
The programme allows women to network and mentor each other, as well as providing practical training, says WTREX director Lenya Quinn-Davidson.
"It's a hard job to work in, especially if you don't fit the mould," Quinn-Davidson says, dressed in her yellow fireproof jacket and red helmet.
"But each time we host one of these events, someone comes forward and says, 'I want to do that where I live.' So last year we had events in South Africa, Canada, the US."
Australian firefighter Martine Parker, 41, chimes in: "Although we have good practices and lots of expertise, I think going international and in such a diverse group, I can gain more experience and knowledge."
AGIF's data indicated it reduced the area burned by wildfires by a third between 2018 and 2022.
P.Martin--AMWN