Hundreds of people in central Greece are being evacuated by sea after the coastal town they were in became hemmed in by one of the many wildfires raging across the country.
About 500 tourists were stranded after a fire broke out near Agios Vasileios in Viotia early on Friday, and strong winds helped the blaze spread rapidly.
Another blaze has ignited further along the coast while crews continue to fight a large fire on Crete, which started earlier in the week.
Europe is currently experiencing an unprecedented wave of wildfires, with heatwaves creating ideal conditions across the continent.
Firefighters in Portugal and Spain are still battling blazes that have consumed thousands of hectares; the newest heatwave this week has raised alarms of a massive fire near Madrid.
In Greece, the area where the fires rose was considered high‑risk because intense winds made fighting the flames difficult.
More than 200 people have already been evacuated, and another 100 are slated for boat rescue from Agios Vasileios, according to emergency officials.
Residents were earlier told to move inland before the fires reached the town’s outskirts.
The coastal flare ate farmland before spreading into the rural town of Xironomi.
Fire crews on Crete continue to tackle persistent hotspots, having burned thousands of hectares and forced a temporary evacuation of 8 000 people.
Other islands, including Paros, Andros and Kalymnos, also report active fires.
While most wildfires are sparked by human activity, climate change has made ignition conditions more common.
Additionally, four active fires along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast have been recorded, including near Antalya, with 206 fires nationwide since Wednesday.
