Chios: Wildfires rage on Greek island
A state of emergency has been declared on the Greek island of Chios where five separate wildfires are burning and being fanned by strong winds.Residents in 17 communities have been evacuated and an arson investigation has been launched into what caused the different fronts to start is such a short amount of time.Three forest fires broke out on Sunday in the areas of Kofinas, Agia Anna and Agios Makarios. A fourth blaze erupted shortly after midnight in Agios Markos, followed by a fifth front on Monday morning in Agiasmata.The blaze has already damaged homes, crops and infrastructure on the Aegean island, with local media reporting that several houses have been destroyed.
There is a moderate high temperature warning on Chios, with highs of about 30C, but it is expected to get hotter toward the end of the week.About 190 firefighters were operating on the island, supported by 11 aircraft and helicopters. An additional 90 firefighters are also due to arrive from Athens and Thessaloniki, authorities said.Pictures from the island show locals trying to help firefighters, throwing buckets of water on flames and using clothing to try to pat out smaller spot fires.Local media reported extensive damage to a number of houses and at least one distillery, with some residents saying they had been unable to return to see if their property had been damaged.
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis travelled to Chios, and said after an emergency meeting that he is "troubled and concerned" about the outbreak of multiple fires in different parts of the island "without a clear explanation"."This is something that must be investigated thoroughly," he added.Meanwhile, a team from the fire service's Arson Investigation Unit, working alongside local police officers, has launched an investigation into what caused the fires.The local power grid has been damaged by the fires, causing outages in the wider Vrontados area. Teams from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network (HEDNO) have been sent from the neighbouring island of Lesvos to carry out repairs. Some planned power cuts have also been introduced to support firefighting operations. Water supply issues and damage to infrastructure have also been reported.This is the first major wildfire this summer for Greece, which is no stranger to devastating fires and extreme heat.On Chios, an intense wildfire in 2012 wiped out more than half of the island's iconic mastic - a tree resin used in cooking and pharmaceuticals - disrupting the global supply of the so-called "tears of Chios".
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BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Chios: Wildfires rage on Greek island
A state of emergency has been declared on the Greek island of Chios where five separate wildfires are burning and being fanned by strong in 17 communities have been evacuated and an arson investigation has been launched into what caused the different fronts to start is such a short amount of forest fires broke out on Sunday in the areas of Kofinas, Agia Anna and Agios Makarios. A fourth blaze erupted shortly after midnight in Agios Markos, followed by a fifth front on Monday morning in blaze has already damaged homes, crops and infrastructure on the Aegean island, with local media reporting that several houses have been destroyed. There is a moderate high temperature warning on Chios, with highs of about 30C, but it is expected to get hotter toward the end of the 190 firefighters were operating on the island, supported by 11 aircraft and helicopters. An additional 90 firefighters are also due to arrive from Athens and Thessaloniki, authorities from the island show locals trying to help firefighters, throwing buckets of water on flames and using clothing to try to pat out smaller spot media reported extensive damage to a number of houses and at least one distillery, with some residents saying they had been unable to return to see if their property had been damaged. Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis travelled to Chios, and said after an emergency meeting that he is "troubled and concerned" about the outbreak of multiple fires in different parts of the island "without a clear explanation"."This is something that must be investigated thoroughly," he a team from the fire service's Arson Investigation Unit, working alongside local police officers, has launched an investigation into what caused the local power grid has been damaged by the fires, causing outages in the wider Vrontados area. Teams from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network (HEDNO) have been sent from the neighbouring island of Lesvos to carry out repairs. Some planned power cuts have also been introduced to support firefighting operations. Water supply issues and damage to infrastructure have also been is the first major wildfire this summer for Greece, which is no stranger to devastating fires and extreme Chios, an intense wildfire in 2012 wiped out more than half of the island's iconic mastic - a tree resin used in cooking and pharmaceuticals - disrupting the global supply of the so-called "tears of Chios".
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Telegraph
Hundreds flee as wildfires rage across Greek holiday island
Wildfires have broken out on the Greek holiday island of Chios, with the authorities declaring a state of emergency and ordering residents to evacuate. Nearly 200 firefighters are trying to control the blazes, which are being whipped up by strong winds, and another 170 are being sent as reinforcements. A dozen helicopters and four planes capable of dumping water have been deployed to the area. Locals and tourists on the island in the northern Aegean have received mobile phone alerts ordering them to evacuate. Ioannis Kefalogiannis, the civil protection minister, said the decision to impose a state of emergency was made so that the authorities 'can immediately take the necessary measures'. Ms Kefalogiannis said the powerful winds, estimated at force six on the Beaufort scale, were making the situation 'very difficult'. 'If the wind dies down a bit, we might be able to get this fire under control. But the wind really hasn't dropped,' she said. The evacuation orders affect 16 villages and suburbs on the outskirts of Chios town, the main settlement. 'The situation remains critical as firefighting forces are still dealing with many active fronts, several of which are near hamlets,' said a Greek government spokesman. Firefighting teams are trying to prevent the blazes from spreading to rural areas known for producing mastiha, a natural resin harvested from mastic trees. On Sunday, about a dozen areas and hundreds of asylum seekers at a reception centre were forced to evacuate as the fires spread. Although wildfires are common in Greece during the summer, experts say global warming is producing bigger and more frequent conflagrations. In 2023, devastating forest fires broke out on the island of Rhodes, forcing 19,000 people to flee the island. Greece has hired a record 18,000 firefighters this year amid concerns that it faces a challenging fire season. A heatwave is predicted in the next few days, with temperatures of more than 40C (104F) expected, including in the capital Athens.
Sky News
7 hours ago
- Sky News
Major wildfire on Greek island of Chios leads to evacuations - as officials warn 'situation remains critical'
Nearly 200 firefighters are battling a major wildfire on the Greek island of Chios. The fire started on Sunday in three separate locations near the main town, which is also called Chios. The flames were fanned by strong winds and turned into one large blaze. Local media footage and photos showed firefighters battling towering flames burning through woodland and farmland as night fell. Power cuts have also been reported. Greek authorities sent fresh evacuation notifications for two areas near Chios town on Monday morning. Push alerts have been sent to mobile phones in the area urging people to evacuate a total of 16 villages, settlements and neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the town. "The situation remains critical as firefighting forces are still dealing with many active fronts, several of which being near hamlets," a Greek government spokesman said. The fire department said 190 firefighters were trying to control the fire on Monday, with strong winds hampering their efforts. Some 35 vehicles, five helicopters and two water-dropping planes were also involved in the effort. A specialist fire department arson investigation team has been sent to the eastern Aegean island to look into the causes. Wildfires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers but authorities have said climate change is fuelling bigger and more frequent blazes. Last year, hundreds of tourists and residents were forced to flee wildfires on the holiday island of Kos.
