Greece: Wildfire erupts near Athens amid heat wave – DW – 06/26/2025
Greek firefighters on Thursday battled a fast-moving wildfire that burned holiday homes and forest land near the coastal town of Palaia Fokaia, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Athens.
"Right now, strong land and air forces are fighting a huge battle against the flames, mainly among homes," fire department spokesman Col. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.
He added that 12 water-dropping planes and 12 helicopters were providing air support to 80 fire engines and 130 firefighters, who were backed up by volunteer firefighters.
The cause of the blaze is still unknown, but authorities say that high temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and strong winds are fueling its rapid spread. A fire department spokesman said an arson investigation unit had been sent to the area.
According to a report by Greek broadcaster ERTnews, several vacation homes have been destroyed, and a large area of scrubland and forest is currently ablaze.
The civil protection agency sent out emergency text alerts, telling residents to leave the affected coastal area near Palaia Fokaia.
Vathrakogiannis said that Greek police had moved 40 people to safety. Meanwhile, the coast guard reported that two patrol boats and nine private vessels were on standby in the area in case an evacuation by sea was necessary.
Authorities also reported that ambulances were on standby, though none had been needed by Thursday afternoon.
According to Greek radio, police rescued 11 tourists from a holiday home in the danger zone. The fire department stated that the hotel complexes were not in immediate danger.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Wildfires are common in Greece during its hot, dry summers. Authorities said the risk of wildfires would remain high Friday before the weather cooled down.
The civil protection agency warned that small fires can transform into major blazes in a matter of minutes due to extreme heat, dry conditions, and high winds.
Due to the weather conditions, the entire wider Athens area, as well as several Aegean islands, were on Level 4 of a 5-level scale for wildfire danger.
Earlier this week, it took hundreds of firefighters four days to bring a major wildfire under control on the eastern Aegean island of Chios.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 days ago
- DW
Pakistan: Rescue efforts following flash floods continue – DW – 08/18/2025
More than 300 people have been killed and 200 remain missing after flash floods last week in Pakistan. Rainfall during this year's monsoon season is already 50% to 60% higher than last year. Authorities in Pakistan continued their rescue and relief work, having faced delays on Monday due to fresh rain, according to local officials. The country's northwest is continuing to deal with the aftermath of flash floods that killed over 300 people and left more than 200 unaccounted for. Heavy rains began on Friday and most of the deaths have been reported in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the provincial disaster agency, which warned of new flash floods until Thursday. Volunteers had been assisting hundreds of rescue workers in their race against time to find possible survivors and retrieve bodies as rain started lashing the province. "This morning fresh rains forced a halt to relief operations," said Nisar Ahmad, 31, a volunteer in the worst-hit Buner district, where "12 villages have been completely wiped out and 219 bodies have been recovered." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Buner, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital, Islamabad, was hit by a cloudburst, a rare phenomenon in which more than 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain falls within an hour in a small area. According to officials, in Buner there was more than 150 millimeters of rain within an hour on Friday morning. "Dozens of bodies are still buried under the mud and rocks, which can only be recovered with heavy machinery. However, the makeshift tracks built to access the area have once again been destroyed by the new rains," Ahmad added. Around 200 people are still missing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local authorities. Relief goods have been sent to the affected areas, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told local Geo News television. Food, medicine, blankets, camps, electric generators and pumps are included in the relief goods, the disaster management authority said in a statement. The monsoon season brings around three-quarters of South Asia's annual rainfall, which is vital for agriculture and food security but can also cause widespread destruction. According to the National Disaster Agency, the intensity of this year's monsoon in Pakistan is about 50% to 60% higher than last year. Landslides and flash floods are common during the monsoon season. The heavy rains that have battered Pakistan since June this year have claimed the lives of more than 650 people, with over 920 injured. Pakistan is among the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and is increasingly facing extreme weather events. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged one-third of the country and resulted in approximately 1,700 deaths.
DW
2 days ago
- DW
Spain: Wildfires rage as heatwave enters 3rd week – DW – 08/17/2025
Firefighters were battling 20 major fires across Spain, with the country's northwest particularly impacted. Prime Minister Sanchez has cut short his summer holiday to deal with the crisis. Firefighters were struggling Sunday to contain multiple wildfires in Spain, which has been sweltering for over two weeks amid an intense heatwave. At least three people have died because of the fires, which have destroyed an estimated 1,150 square kilometers of forest and vegetation. Thousands of residents have also been evacuated. With a scorching heatwave hindering attempts to contain 20 major fires across Spain, the government has deployed 500 extra troops from its Military Emergencies Unit (UME) to support firefighters. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Galicia, in Spain's northwest, is one of the worst affected areas. The Atlantic coastal region has seen multiple fires converge into one large blaze which has forced highways and railway services to be shut. The regions of Castile and Leon, Extremadura and Asturias have also been severely impacted. Neighboring Portugal has also been tackling several wildfires. The wildfires have been exacerbated by an extended drought and heatwave that has seen temperatures soar to more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Spain's national weather service AEMET has issued extreme fire risk warnings for several regions, which will remain in effect until at least Monday. Some parts of the country are expected to see temperatures reach up to 45 degrees Celsius, AEMET said. "There are still some challenging days ahead and, unfortunately, the weather is not on our side," Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters in Ourense, one of the worst affected provinces in northwestern Galicia. The prime minister was visiting the provinces of Ourense and Leon on Sunday after interrupting his summer holiday. Sanchez also said more troops would be sent to help tackle the blazes, bringing the total number of troops deployed across the country to 1,900. In Ourense, Sanchez said his government would deliver a "national pact to mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency." He added that the government would do "everything possible and even more" to assist the victims of the fires. On Sunday morning, Spain requested assistance from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, through which EU member states can quickly provide help to deal with disasters such as major wildfires. France and Italy had earlier sent water bombers to boost Spain's firefighting efforts. Germany will also send specially trained firefighting units from five German cities to Spain, according to the Bonn Fire Department. A total of 67 firefighters, along with 21 vehicles and three trailers, are expected to arrive in Spain on Tuesday evening. They are expected to remain in Spain until August 30. "It is self-evident for us to send our firefighters to provide support," North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul said, according to a spokesman. "In Europe, we stand by each other, especially when it matters most," he said.
DW
3 days ago
- DW
Hurricane Erin intensifies into a Category 5 storm – DW – 08/16/2025
Erin is the Atlantic season's first hurricane and is set to escalate over the weekend though the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the US appears to be receding. Hurricane Erin strengthened into a category 5 hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Saturdauy. Erin is about 160 miles (255 kilometers) north of Anguilla, as the NHC warned of possible flooding and landslides. Tropical storm watches have been issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barts, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten while heavy rains are expected in Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain is anticipated, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches (15 centimeters), according to the NHC. The NHC said Eric could create powerful rip currents off parts of the US East Coast later in the week, even if its eye forecast remains far offshore. Hurricane expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a route between the US and Bermuda. "All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it'll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin," he said. Erin is the Atlantic season's first hurricane and is expected to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend, passing around 200 miles north of Puerto Rico. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
