News Archive

2022

Large crews of dedicated Slovenian volunteers powered an amazing week at CTIF 2022 in Celje

Several events were taking place this past week: Not only did thousands of youth and adults from aro...

Large crews of dedicated Slovenian volunteers powered an amazing week at CTIF 2022 in Celje

The opening of of the CTIF 2022 Sports Games

See the live stream and videos from the CTIF Firefighters Olympics in Celje!

Watch the live stream as it is happening - it is also possible to watch the re-runs on both Facebook...

See the live stream and videos from the CTIF Firefighters Olympics in Celje!

CTIF´s Delegates Assembly in Celje had 26 countries present physically and virtually in Celje

Just like last year in Marseille, we have provided the possibility to connect virtually to Delegates...

CTIF´s Delegates Assembly in Celje had 26 countries present physically and virtually in Celje

The Bulgarian team training at the Ladder Obstacle Course in Celje on Monday, July 18

Firefighters Olympics Week has started in Slovenia!

In the photo above, we can see the Bulgarian team practicing on the ladder obstacle course at the S...

Firefighters Olympics Week has started in Slovenia!

Forest fire in Estreito da Calheta, Portugal, September 7th, 2016

250 wildfires raging in Portugal - drought and heat waves in Southern Europe - flash floods kills 16...

Thousands of firefighters are struggling to contain more than 250 fires around Portugal. Temperature...

250 wildfires raging in Portugal - drought and heat waves in Southern Europe - flash floods kills 16 in Kashmir

18 firefighters injured during the 2022 forest fires in France

More than 1,000 firefighters are battling widespread forest fires in southeastern France. During th...

18 firefighters injured during the 2022 forest fires in France

200 firefighters form six EU countries are stationed in Greece for July and August 2022 to help prevent a re-occurance of last year´s forest fire inferno.

200 firefighters from six EU countries in Greece to help prevent another forest fire disaster in 202...

The wildfire units are in place for July and August when the wildfire risk is estimated to be the hi...

200 firefighters from six EU countries in Greece to help prevent another forest fire disaster in 2022

Sydney struck by flooding - thousands evacuated from Australia´s largest city

This is the second time this year the area has flooded. The rescue service has received 1,400 emerge...

Sydney struck by flooding - thousands evacuated from Australia´s largest city

Massive Chlorine Leak in Jordan - 12 dead and over 250 Injured

An intermodel tank container was reportedly dropped while being offloaded from a ship resulting a ma...

Massive Chlorine Leak in Jordan - 12 dead and over 250 Injured

The first members of the EC arrived on Monday for Interschutz

A productive week for CTIF networking at Interschutz 2022 - the world´s largest Fire & Rescue Exhibi...

The CTIF Executive Committee met with many new and old friends from around the world at the Intersch...

A productive week for CTIF networking at Interschutz 2022 - the world´s largest Fire & Rescue Exhibition

Forest Fire in the parish of Puente Sampayo, Pontevedra (Galicia, Spain), on 10 August 2016. Date 10 August 2016, 22:16 Source Incendio forestal en Puente Sampayo Author Contando Estrelas from Vigo, España / Spain

Heatwaves and forest fires in Europe - Floods in Bangladesh - extreme weather continues to plague th...

Forest fire season has started early in Southern Europe. 500 firefighters are struggling to contain ...

Heatwaves and forest fires in Europe - Floods in Bangladesh - extreme weather continues to plague the globe in June 2022

Veli-Matti Sääskilahti, Finland, handed over the Chairman's Club for the Airport Commission to Manfred Sommerer from Austria, during the commission's ;ast meeting in May.

Manfred Sommerer new chair of the CTIF Commission for Firefighting at Airports

Manfred Sommerer takes over from Veli-Matti Sääskilahti, Finland, who remains a member, and also a m...

Manfred Sommerer new chair of the CTIF Commission for Firefighting at Airports

The CTIF Commission “Rescue and Fire Fighting at Airports” held hybrid meeting in Hamburg

After two years of not being able to meet physically, this was the first meeting with both virtual a...

The CTIF Commission “Rescue and Fire Fighting at Airports” held hybrid meeting in Hamburg

The CTIF International Firefighters Competitions

A spectacular event gathering 3500 competitors from over 30 countries, with over 10 000 fans in the ...

The CTIF International Firefighters Competitions

Map of Germany and the alpine town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen

At least five dead and several more missing after a train crash in Germany

According to the police, 44 people were also injured in the accident after which a large rescue oper...

At least five dead and several more missing after a train crash in Germany

The Swedish Firefighters Olympics team training for Celje in Laholm, May 2022.

Youth and adults around Europe frantically preparing for the Firefighters Olympics in Celje!

A CTIF news team consisting of Past President Tore Eriksson and Monica Rhodiner, former HazMat Commi...

Youth and adults around Europe frantically preparing for the Firefighters Olympics in Celje!

The forest fire commission reunited after the pandemic for a three day meeting in Athens in May 2022.

The Forest Fire Commission met in Athens for a focused review of the wildfire season 2021

GREECE: The EU mobilized one of the largest ever European deployments of firefighters and aircrafts ...

The Forest Fire Commission met in Athens for a focused review of the wildfire season 2021

An April 29 photo of the earth provided by NASA.

Snow, hail, high heat and unusual tornadoes - extreme weather patterns plagued the world in May 2022

Strong storms have swept through Germany and heat records have been broken in both Spain and France....

Snow, hail, high heat and unusual tornadoes - extreme weather patterns plagued the world in May 2022

A lithium-ion battery was exposed to force by using a hammer to test its fire safety. The battery in this test exploded. Photo: Tavo Romann / Wikipedia Commons

Large increase in lithium battery related fires over the last 6 years

The warning involves not only electric vehicles but anything from cell phones, headphones and comput...

Large increase in lithium battery related fires over the last 6 years

Historic catastrophes on Friday the 13th - Many still believe in the "Dark Powers" of this day

Many fear Friday the 13th - however modern research shows less fires than normal are reported than o...

Historic catastrophes on Friday the 13th - Many still believe in the "Dark Powers" of this day

From a rescue exercise with the Swedish Maritime Authority in 2015.

Helicopter winched an injured woman up from a mine shaft

The fire rescue team tending to her injuries assessed manual winching would be too risky and could w...

Helicopter winched an injured woman up from a mine shaft

A generic front page for CTIF Fire Statistics

The CTIF Fire Statistics Berlin office is urgently asking all member nations for 2020 fire statistic...

We kindly ask you to please note the May 1 deadline. CTIF regrets the short notice, but asks for you...

The CTIF Fire Statistics Berlin office is urgently asking all member nations for 2020 fire statistics by May 1st

Hundreds dead in South Africa flooding disaster

The death toll is rising after the floods in South Africa: More than 440 people have died after last...

Hundreds dead in South Africa flooding disaster

A screen shot from a video especially made for CTIF from the Ukraine State Emergency Service.

The Ukraine State Emergency Service is moving into closer cooperation with CTIF

Representatives from the Ukraine State Emergency Service met with Mira Leinonen of the CTIF WIFR com...

The Ukraine State Emergency Service is moving into closer cooperation with CTIF

Firefighters in Ukraine. Photo provided from a video by the State Emergency Service in Ukraine.

Firefighting in Ukraine: A special report to CTIF from the Ukraine State Emergency Service

Firefighting in general involves risk - Firefighting during an armed conflict makes those risks mult...

Firefighting in Ukraine: A special report to CTIF from the Ukraine State Emergency Service

Gas fuel firefighting training in Greece. Photo: The Hellenic Volunteer Firefighters Association

Report from the 7th meeting of the CTIF Volunteer Firefighter Commission

The Commission discussed the current status how the European Working Time Directive impacts voluntee...

Report from the 7th meeting of the CTIF Volunteer Firefighter Commission

A screenshot of WIFR's Monday March 28 meeting.

Report from the CTIF Women in Fire & Rescue Services monthly meeting

The CTIF Commission for Women in Fire and Rescue Services is one of our most active commissions and ...

Report from the CTIF Women in Fire & Rescue Services monthly meeting

Firefighters convoy in the rear view mirror

Request to CTIF from Ukraine resulted in the "largest firefighters aid convoy in history" headed for...

An official call for help from the Ukraine to CTIF resulted in a huge truck convoy of around 55 Brit...

Request to CTIF from Ukraine resulted in the "largest firefighters aid convoy in history" headed for Poland

Firefighters involved in helping refugees from Ukraine.

Polish firefighters heavily involved in helping Ukraine refugees as 2 million come through Poland

Adults in panic, children in anxiety, helplessness. This is the what Polish fire officers observe ev...

Polish firefighters heavily involved in helping Ukraine refugees as 2 million come through Poland

The project Fire Aid in the UK is planning sending a large convoy of donated fire fighting material to Ukraine on the last weekend in March 2022.

Massive support from all around CTIF´s member nations to help firefighters in Ukraine

UPDATED MARCH 18: Large convoy of trucks with materials for Ukraine firefighters leaving Britain fo...

Massive support from all around CTIF´s member nations to help firefighters in Ukraine

Photo of a CTIF computer desktop and the official letter from Ukraine sent on March 14, 2022

CTIF receives call to coordinate help for firefighters in the war zone - directly from the Ukraine ...

The Executive Committee decided to day to forward the letter to all CTIF National Member Committee f...

CTIF receives call to coordinate help for firefighters in the war zone - directly from the Ukraine government

Felicity Ace. Photo by the Portuguese Coast Guard.

Burning ship carrying lithium EV cars sank outside of the Azores

The cargo ship Felicity Ace, carrying thousands of cars, has sunk due to the fire onboard which occu...

Burning ship carrying lithium EV cars sank outside of the Azores

A burning building after bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3 Photo by: Maxim Dondyuk

Polish National CTIF Committee collecting body armour and helmets for firefighters in Ukraine

Firemen in Ukraine need body armor and helmets. Could you please help under the CTIF with additional...

Polish National CTIF Committee collecting body armour and helmets for firefighters in Ukraine

CTIF Executive Committee met today with the European Commissioner for Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid

CTIF Executive Committee met with the European Commissioner for Disaster Management

Members of the CTIF Executive Committee were in Brussels for a quickly called meeting with Janez Len...

CTIF Executive Committee met with the European Commissioner for Disaster Management

Official Statement from the CTIF Executive Committee regarding the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine

March 2, 2022. CTIF, as a non-political organisation, condemns aggressive military action against ...

Official Statement from the CTIF Executive Committee regarding the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine

California forest fires. Photo by United States Department of Defence.

UN report calls for radical re-allocating of wildfire resources - less suppression and more preventi...

The UN report which was released this week predicts 50 percent more extreme wildfires by the end of ...

UN report calls for radical re-allocating of wildfire resources - less suppression and more prevention

A man is being rescued by helicopter during a 2018 storm in White Rock, BC, which destroyed the iconic wooden pier as moored boats came loose and smashed against the woodwork. Photo: Public Domain

Franklin third hurricane in five days to hit Europe

While Storms Dudley and Eunice had barely subsided from last week, Storm Franklin hit Northern Europ...

Franklin third hurricane in five days to hit Europe

Fire truck from the City of Essen. Photo: Wikipedia

150 firefighters responded to a large wind driven apartment building fire in Essen, Germany

The fire may have spread through the facade insulation, and wind gusts from the storms from storms l...

150 firefighters responded to a large wind driven apartment building fire in Essen, Germany

Ice Road in Lake Saimaa Finland. Photo taken in 2009, by Wikipedia.

Rescue worker fell through ice - first deadly firefighter accident in Finland in 18 years

The rescue worker fell through the ice while responding to an accident involving ice road equipment ...

Rescue worker fell through ice - first deadly firefighter accident in Finland in 18 years

Rue Arago, Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. Photo from 2015 by Wikipedia.

Explosion and fire kills seven people in south-western France

Several buildings on both sides of the streets caught fire after an explosion occurred at 13.30 CET ...

Explosion and fire kills seven people in south-western France