The undergrowth was burning in almost 60 hectares in the 18th district in Budapest this afternoon. The Liszt Ferenc International Airport is close to that district, but the fire did not endanger its facilities. However, it was very close to residential areas. Therefore, even people living in the nearby streets rushed to keep it at bay.
Fire devastated Budapest grove
Sándor Szaniszló, the mayor of the 18th district, wrote in a Facebook post that he was very proud of local residents. He also said this was the second time this week that a fire took place in the groves of the district. As the leader of the local government, he pledged to take measures to prevent such damages in the future.
Péter Kolozsi, the deputy spokesman of Budapest’s disaster management authority, said the undergrowth burned on almost 60 hectares. The size of the area, extreme heat and poor road conditions all baulked the work of the fire extinguishers. At last, they were successful and stopped the spread of the fire by 7 PM, Telex.hu reported.
Here are some photos:
Heat record again in Hungary
August 19 was the hottest day on record in Hungary, the second this summer, according to the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ).
The mercury hit 39.6 degrees Celsius in Baja, in southern Hungary. The Budapest record was also eclipsed with 38.2 degrees measured in Ujpest, a northern district, OMSZ said on Facebook. On Wednesday, record high daily temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius were measured in both Baja and Kübekháza, in southern Hungary.
According to forecasts, a cold front is pulling in with thunderstorms, showers and gusty winds from the west in the evening.