Major warning for Irish tourists after thousands evacuated from hotels in two popular sunshine spots as wildfires rage
DOZENS of wildfires have erupted in holiday hotspots across Greece and Spain, prompting evacuations, power outages and appeals for help.
Firefighters across Greece and Spain are battling to contain fierce wildfires that have been spreading since early yesterday, 12 August.
Advertisement
3
The fires have been fuelled by fierce winds and dry conditions as temperatures soar
Credit: Carlow weather
3
The popular tourist islands of Zante and Chios in Greece have been hit by the wildfires
Credit: EPA
Thousands have been evacuated in both countries, many from popular tourist hotspots, due to the severity of the fires.
In Tarifa, Cádiz, southern Spain, more than 2,000 people have been evacuated from hotels and beaches as smoke from nearby dry fields and forests spreads across the area.
A volunteer Spanish firefighter has been killed amid ongoing efforts to control the raging fires.
The victim, a 35-year-old volunteer, had been trying to create firebreaks near the north-central town of Nogarejas when he became trapped in the blaze.
Advertisement
Over 5,000 people have since been evacuated in the region, with efforts concentrated on preventing the flames from reaching smaller towns.
Several people have also been reportedly hospitalised across the country due to wildfires over the last few days.
In Greece, firefighters are fighting to contain a wildfire menacing the country's third-largest city, Patras.
The western Achaia region in the Peloponnese, to which Patras belongs, has also seen around 20 villages evacuated so far.
Advertisement
The popular tourist islands of Zante and Chios are also currently on fire, with the Greek coastguard saying it has helped evacuate nearly 80 people from the area.
Nearly 5,000 firefighters assisted by 33 aircraft have since been deployed to contain these flames.
Watch horror moment lorry bursts into flames on busy Irish road as major 'avoid if possible' warning issued
The mayor of West Achaia, Grigoris Alexopoulos, told the Greek news agency ANA that "The catastrophe is very big".
He added: "82 fires broke out, a very high number which, combined with violent winds, drought and high temperatures, has created huge difficulties in the extinction efforts"
Advertisement
These fires have been fuelled by fierce winds and dry conditions, which have baked southern Europe in a heatwave all week.
Portugal, Montenegro, and Albania are also currently fighting blazes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Louise McSharry: Holiday-saving products for sun-sensitive skin
Our writer shares her pre-getaway routine to minimise allergy symptoms The first time I went on a sun holiday, I was 19. I went to Zakynthos, a Greek island, with two friends for two weeks. It was a long holiday, and as you might imagine with three teenage girls, there was a bit of tension at times, but generally we had a good time. Well, they had a good time. I spent most days lying on my bed in our air-conditioned room. My skin was reacting very severely to the sun. A couple of days into the holiday, large patches of redness had appeared. They were itchy and sore, and ultimately small blisters appeared on them. If I stayed out of the sun, I was OK, but once my skin was exposed to it, I was back to square one. I now know that what I was experiencing was a sun allergy called polymorphous light eruption (PMLE).
Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Outlook for tourism is far from sunny
We may be currently enjoying warm weather — but the outlook for our tourism industry is far from sunny, according to that sector's representative body. The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) has sounded a note of warning in its pre-budget submissions, saying the industry is in dire need of a raft of supporting measures, from increased Government investment to the removal of the Dublin Airport passenger cap. Its representatives say that visitor figures from America remain strong, but numbers from Europe and Britain are not as robust, and 'even the domestic market [numbers] are soft'. This is troubling, given the size and scope of the tourism industry — in the broadest sense, it has a presence in practically every village in the country. With the numbers directly or indirectly employed in the tourism sector, warnings about its viability must be taken seriously. It is worth pointing, however, to some of ITIC's points, such as its admission that Irish tourism cannot hope to compete with Mediterranean countries on price. This is immediately obvious to anyone holidaying in Spain, for instance, but it underlines the fact that at a time when rising costs make bargain hunters of all of us, there is better value to be had elsewhere. The ITIC spokesman also said: 'Eurostat came out with figures just last month which showed that Ireland was the second-most expensive country in the EU — so that obviously finds its way through to restaurant bills, pub bills, hotel bills.' There is a certain amount of chicken-and-egg reasoning here. Many Irish citizens would point to high prices for hotels, restaurants, and pubs as contributing to the sense of Ireland being an expensive country, rather than high costs 'finding their way through' to bills in those establishments. Also, ITIC's calls for investment would not sound quite so hollow if they did not coincide with the Oasis concerts this weekend. When those concerts were announced, hotel prices for the relevant dates were hiked immediately, with many Dublin hotels charging twice their usual rate or more. Can the hospitality industry really call for more State investment when many people perceive that parts of that industry are also gouging customers? Heroic action restores faith It is just a couple of months since we had the horrifying case of a man drowning in the River Lee as onlookers chose to film the event rather than trying to help. On that occasion, both the dead man's family and the emergency services were understandably critical of those onlookers, and the situation prompted a general debate about morality and ethics in modern life. It is good to report, then, that a similar situation that also arose in the Lee recently had a better outcome. As reported here, Mohammed Khathiri saved a woman from drowning when she went into the water at George's Quay last week. Looking out his window, Mr Khathiri realised the woman had fallen in, and he ran down to the quayside and jumped into the river to help the woman, pulling her to safety by the quay wall. 'It's just important to save humanity, to be human, and the only way I was able to do it was to run down and get her to safety,' he told Imasha Costa of this parish. It is surely instructive that Mr Khathiri, a father of four who works as a cleaner, chose not to livestream the events unfolding in front of him but instead opted to try to save someone. One would not have thought it necessary to point out that this is by far the better option, but events last May suggest otherwise, and Mr Khathiri's example is all the more valuable as a result. In addition, Mr Khathiri was not born in Ireland. He is originally from Morocco and has lived in Ireland for two years. His instinctive reaction to save another person is a vivid retort to the anti-immigrant sentiment and racist rhetoric that is growing in this country. 'I thank everyone who has called me a hero,' Mr Khathiri told this newspaper. 'But I only did what anyone should do, what any human being would do.' Valued tourism Elsewhere on this page, readers can ponder the value for money to be had in Irish tourism, but an event currently under way in Cork shows that such value can still be found. The Cork on a Fork programme features many of the city and county's finest chefs, food businesses, local producers and growers, with over 100 events including unique dining experiences, street feasts, talks and demos, food trails, and brewery and distillery tours. Many of the events are free of charge. The event underlines the standing of Cork city and county as Ireland's food destination, but it might also be a useful template for tourism across the country in the way local producers of all types, local retail outlets, and local restaurants are involved in the programme. For instance, the very first Cork On A Fork was floated as an idea as recently as 2022 — the speed with which it has become a highlight of the summer on Leeside shows how commitment, energy, and enthusiasm can establish an event in the civic calendar. For more information, see and
The Journal
12 hours ago
- The Journal
Dublin woman sets off for Papua New Guinea in bid to climb world's highest volcanos
A DUBLIN WOMAN is on a mission to reach the summit of the highest volcano in each of the planet's seven continents. Milasha Joseph has already scaled the likes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa in her bid to complete the feat. It's an ambition inspired by a desire during the pandemic lockdown of five years ago to improve her stamina and endurance. 'It was to break out of my comfort zone,' Milasha explained to The Journal . 'I was thinking of trying to do something like skydiving or something adventurous, but at that point, I couldn't do it because it was hard to travel outside the country. 'So I thought, I'll train my body and do something like hiking. By 2021, I thought, okay, fine, I could do this. So why not seven volcanic summits?' Those seven summits in full are: Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa Mount Damavand – Asia Mount Elbrus – Europe Pico De Orizaba – North America Ojos del Salado – South America Mount Giluwe – Oceania (which is considered a continent in some parts of the world and for the purpose of this mission) Mount Sidley – Antarctica Malasha has ticked the first four off her list, with Mount Giluwe in Papua New Guinea next up later this month. Advertisement However, rain season and the risk of mudslides mean the mountain is safest to climb only during a brief window of just a few weeks in August and September. The accountant, who lives in south Dublin, explained that it was a 'deeply personal journey' for her as she is asthmatic, which she felt had previously inhibited her from similar experiences. She adapted her training to include cardio and core work to strengthen her lungs for the 5,000 kilometre high summits. Her mountaineering has also been inspired by a desire to have 'other women with health conditions to believe in their strength' and to push themselves. Milasha at the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa The last summit on Milesha's list is Mount Sidley in Antarctica, which is currently going to cost her more than €60,000 to manage. Before that trip she will aim to find a sponsor to help her raise the funds required. Milesha, who hails from the southern Indian state of Kerel, said she has packed the Irish tricolour for the latest mountain in Papua New Guinea to mark a special occasion. 'I've lived in Ireland 11 years and I'm taking the Irish flag this time because I'm now an Irish citizen, since February. It's been a journey and I'm looking forward to raising it.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
