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Nature and EnvironmentGreece

Villages evacuated in Greece as wildfires rage

August 21, 2023

Two villages north of Athens were evacuated after a forest fire broke out, while a major wildfire near the Turkish border raged for a third day. A man was killed during one of the fires.

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A firefighter operates during a wildfire near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023.
A fire near the town of Alexandroupolis near the Turkish border has been burning for three daysImage: Ilias Kotsireas/InTime News/AP Photo/picture alliance

Greek firefighters battled wildfires that broke out amid scorching temperatures, with two villages north of the capital Athens evacuated, reviving fears after the country suffered major wildfires last month during its longest heat wave ever.

A forest fire broke out on Monday in the central Viotia region, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Athens.

What happened in Greece?

People in two communities near the fire site were told to evacuate. Around 56 firefighters faced the blaze, the French AFP news agency reported, assisted by four water-dropping aircraft.

Fire protection authorities warned of an "extreme" fire risk around Athens and in other parts of southern Greece.

"The [firefighting] system is on alert, and we must be, too. The risk of wildfires remains high," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said.

In the northeast region near the Turkish borders, a major wildfire continued to burn for a third day near the town of Alexandroupolis. Strong winds worsened the situation, constantly rekindling the flames.

Some 13 villages were evacuated in the region over the weekend, with several homes destroyed. Over 200 firefighters faced the flames, aided by 16-water-dropping planes and seven helicopters, Marinakis said.

Fires rage across the Canary Islands

Meanwhile in Spain's Canary Islands, a wildfire, believed to have been started deliberately, continued to burn since last Tuesday. Over 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, with some 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland burned.

"The worst is over," Canary Island regional President Fernando Clavijo told Spain's Cadena SER radio, adding that some of those earlier evacuated were allowed to return home.

A view shows a fire over the mountains near empty houses after the evacuation in different villages in the north, as wildfires rage out of control on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain August 20, 2023.
What is believed to be a man-made fire has burned 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland in the Canary IslandsImage: Nacho Doce/REUTERS

The hundreds of firefighters deployed had made some progress for the second night in a row, Clavijo also said. The area's challenging terrain of steep ravines and cliffs has complicated efforts to put down the fire.

A recent heat wave has also contributed to the difficulty, as it left the pine forest bone dry.

Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, but officials say they have been exacerbated by climate change, with many other countries in the region also suffering from more fires blamed on warming temperatures.

Raging wildfires in Greece turn deadly

rmt/jcg (AFP, AP, Reuters)