In 2022, wildfires have scorched more than 600,000 hectares of Europe.

This ranks as the second-highest total for any year, and comes amid a heatwave that has killed more than 2000 people in Spain and Portugal alone.

Climate scientists have warned that these wild weather events are only going to become more regular, and Aotearoa will not be spared.

So are we ready for the impact of long, dry summers? And is our fire service well enough equipped to battle raging wildfires?  
 
Today, Damien speaks to NZ Herald planning director Vera Alves about what it's like on the ground in Portugal, and Joe Stanley, the vice president of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union, joins later to discuss New Zealand's preparedness. 

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Host: Damien Venuto
Editor/Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills