As Greece grapples with its first summer heatwave, a large wildfire has caused chaos in the coastal towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari, located just 40 kilometers southeast of Athens. The flames, ignited in low vegetation, quickly spread to residential areas, resulting in the destruction of at least 20 homes and substantial structural damage to many others. Local officials are working tirelessly to address the situation, amplifying emergency responses through code alerts and evacuations.
The heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 40°C, complicated containment efforts. Local residents have united with firefighters, forest rangers, and even aircraft to battle the flames, desperately trying to save their properties. Meanwhile, the coast guard has been deployed to assist along the coastline.
Despite evacuation orders, some residents have chosen to stay behind, risking their safety to defend their homes with anything they could find, from garden hoses to buckets. This not only jeopardized their lives but also hampered rescue operations. Thankfully, authorities successfully evacuated over 1,000 people, including 11 tourists trapped by the fire on a beach.
In response to the growing wildfire crisis, Greece has ramped up its firefighting response, deploying an additional 18,000 firefighters supported by volunteers to fight the flames throughout the fire season, which extends into October. Just this week, separate fires surged through thousands of hectares on Chios, further exacerbating the wildfire threat across the nation.
As fires rage on and conditions worsen, local officials are opening municipal facilities to provide shelter and medical assistance to those in need. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway to determine if the recent fire was started intentionally, as the nation braces for even higher temperatures and an increased wildfire risk in the coming days.
The heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 40°C, complicated containment efforts. Local residents have united with firefighters, forest rangers, and even aircraft to battle the flames, desperately trying to save their properties. Meanwhile, the coast guard has been deployed to assist along the coastline.
Despite evacuation orders, some residents have chosen to stay behind, risking their safety to defend their homes with anything they could find, from garden hoses to buckets. This not only jeopardized their lives but also hampered rescue operations. Thankfully, authorities successfully evacuated over 1,000 people, including 11 tourists trapped by the fire on a beach.
In response to the growing wildfire crisis, Greece has ramped up its firefighting response, deploying an additional 18,000 firefighters supported by volunteers to fight the flames throughout the fire season, which extends into October. Just this week, separate fires surged through thousands of hectares on Chios, further exacerbating the wildfire threat across the nation.
As fires rage on and conditions worsen, local officials are opening municipal facilities to provide shelter and medical assistance to those in need. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway to determine if the recent fire was started intentionally, as the nation braces for even higher temperatures and an increased wildfire risk in the coming days.