Out-of-control Cyprus wildfires bear down on tourist town as two people are burned alive trying to flee their car and luxury villas reduced to ash with mass evacuations underway
At least 100 square kilometres (39 square miles) was razed to the ground in a wine-producing region north of the city of Limassol after the blaze broke out around midday on Wednesday, with several fronts still active on Thursday morning.
Two people were found dead in a burned-out vehicle, trapped by the fire.
At least 10 people were injured, two of them seriously, police said.
It comes as at least 10 rescue workers were killed after they were unable to contain a punishing blaze sweeping through the central Eskisehir province of Turkey yesterday.
Despite aggressive aerial and ground efforts, including 10 helicopters, five firefighting planes, and 30 fire trucks, unpredictable winds and dry conditions left two dozen emergency workers suddenly facing a raging inferno.
Ten were engulfed by the fire and tragically lost their lives, while 14 more escaped but were rushed to hospital having suffered significant smoke inhalation and burns.
As dawn broke, a red hue hung over Limassol, a sprawling coastal city where development in recent years has spilled over to its surrounding mountains.
Firefighting aircraft were redeployed at first light after darkness forced a pause.
Authorities said it was too early to give a precise account of damage, or what started the fire.
'We are talking about very strong winds, with gusts, which were constantly interchanging,' fire brigade spokesperson Andreas Kettis said.
Temperatures on the island peaked at 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, triggering an amber weather alert.
A new amber warning was in place on Thursday, with highs forecast to hit 44 degrees Celsius - the hottest of the year so far.
Cyprus has requested help through the European Union's civil protection mechanism, with Spain expected to send two aircraft on Thursday, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. Jordan has also pledged assistance.
Cyprus has struggled with a protracted drought, pushing scarce water resources to critically low levels. The affected area sits just north of Cyprus's Kouris reservoir, the island's largest. It was at just 15.5% of its capacity on Wednesday.
Some 10 rescue workers died in Turkey's central Eskisehir province while battling to contain a wildfire, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on Wednesday.
Firefighters and rescue teams have been battling since the early hours of Wednesday to contain a wildfire in Eskisehir's Seyitgazi district.
At least 24 firefighters were reportedly trapped in the fire when the wind suddenly changed direction and blew flames towards them, Yumakli told reporters.
They were immediately taken to hospital, but 10 of them died, while treatment for 14 others were ongoing, the minister added.
According to Yumakli, five of the victims were forest workers, while the other five were members of the post-disaster search and rescue association AKUT's team, who were assisting with the operation.
The deaths bring the number of fatalities in wildfires that have flared amid strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions so far in the country this year to 13.
Some 10 rescue workers had their lives taken in Turkey's central Eskisehir province while battling to contain a wildfire, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on Wednesday
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences, stating: 'I have learned with great sorrow that five forest workers and five AKUT volunteers were martyred in the Eskişehir fire.
'I extend my condolences to their families and to our nation.'
The fire broke out in the Seyitgazi district of Eskisehir on July 22 and later spread to neighboring Afyonkarahisar's İhsaniye district, prompting a large-scale response from both ground and aerial firefighting teams.
The fire quickly engulfed dense pine forests known for spreading flames through flying embers, leaving firefighters little room to maneuver.
Initial investigations suggest a power line malfunction may have sparked the fire, although arson has not been ruled out.
By evening, the fire had consumed an estimated 3,700 acres of forest, forcing evacuations of approximately 1,200 residents from nearby villages coordinated by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
Beyond human casualties, the fire devastated local livestock, killing at least 50 farm animals. Turkey's Red Crescent provided critical aid for evacuees displaced by the fire.
More than 130 fires have erupted across the country in the past week, according to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate.
Most have been brought under control, but eight major fires continued in a number of provinces including Izmir, Aydin, Manisa, Karabuk and Bolu.
Turkey has been sweltering since Sunday under temperatures between six to 12 degrees Celsius above the seasonal norms, according to weather forecasters.
Several fires have been declared across the country in the tinder-box conditions.
The country battled 11 major wildfires on July 23 alone, nine of which broke out during the day, according to Yumakli.
Authorities have now launched a thorough investigation, analysing satellite data and on-the-ground evidence.
A preliminary report is expected by July 30, with a focus on identifying precise causes and preventing future tragedies.
Minister Yumaklı announced plans to recruit 5,000 additional forestry workers and expand aerial firefighting capacity by adding 10 more planes by 2026.
In a statement following Wednesday's deaths, the minister said: 'My condolences to our entire country.
'We are experiencing a very painful evening. Ten of our forest workers were martyred while trying to extinguish the fires. We are currently shutting down that area.
'We can't believe how this happened in such a small forest, not a very large one. They had already escaped danger yesterday, and we were very happy, but today we lost martyrs,' the minister added.
'While responding to a forest fire that broke out in Eskisehir and reached the border of Afyonkarahisar, 19 of our forestry workers and five searching and rescuing volunteers were trapped in the fire due to adverse winds. Fourteen of our forestry workers are receiving treatment in hospitals,' he said.
Scientists have long warned that burning fossil fuels is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves more likely and more intense.
Experts link the surge to climate change-induced drought and heatwaves that have extended fire seasons and increased fire intensity across the Mediterranean region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
British tourists put on alert as new Greece wildfires spread amid 44C heatwave - as blaze tears through capital Athens
British tourists have been put on alert as new Greece wildfires spread amid a 44C heatwave - as a blaze tears through the capital of Athens. The southern European country was first hit with the scorching temperatures on Monday and they have not relented throughout this week. After the mercury hit a blistering 44C high in Athens on Tuesday, a wildfire has now burned through a northern suburb of the capital, on Saturday. Shocking pictures show homes ablaze while residents of the town of Kryoneri, 12.5miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS warnings to evacuate. Some 145 firefighters, 44 fire engines, ten firefighting planes and seven helicopters remain on site, with Greece asking for six more such planes from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. At least five residents - most of them elderly, with respiratory problems - are being treated by ambulance staff. But Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakoyannis said 'the real difficulties are ahead of us', as the hot, dry, windy conditions 'are expected to prevail over the coming days'. And indeed, some 52 wildfires have already broken out in just the last 24 hours - with British tourists under alert by the Foreign Office to be aware of their dangers. After the mercury hit a blistering 44C high in Athens on Tuesday, a wildfire has now burned through a northern suburb of the capital (pictured), on Saturday The Foreign Office updated its advice for British travellers to Greece at the start of this month, warning of the risk of wildfires. It notes: 'Greece can experience extreme natural phenomena such as earthquakes, wildfires, extreme heat and flash floods... 'There is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Advising how to enable emergency alerts from the Greek government for near where you are, it adds: 'Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. 'The situation can change quickly.' It also recommends tourists consider packing a 'grab bag' of essentials, including passports, ID, phones, chargers, money, bank cards, insurance and other important documents and essential medicine and prescription details. Of the fire in Athens, Mr Vathrakoyannis said: 'There have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.' The exact origin of the fire is unknown - but temperatures reaching or exceeding 38C, dry conditions and high winds have been said to be fanning the flames. Greece has asked for for six more firefighting planes from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism Under such conditions, wildfires 'expand very quickly and become dangerous', he warned. Three other major fires have also broken out in other parts of the country, on the islands of Crete and nearby Kythera to the south and on Evia, north of Athens. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are fighting the blazes - but they can only operate in daylight. The Greek government's Emergency Communications Service has issued several place-specific warnings, ordering those in the area to evacuate. A blaze has broken out at the 400-bed Agios Andreas Hospital in the city of Patras, near Athens, on Saturday. The department has warned, as of Saturday evening: 'Smoke in the surrounding area. Stay indoors, close doors and windows. Follow the instructions of the authorities.' On Crete, anyone in the areas of Anidri, Achladiakes, Strati, Asfendiles, Platanes and Azogires has been ordered to evacuate to the town of Paleochora, as of Saturday evening. Anyone in the island's village of Temenia has been told to move to nearby town Kandalos. Those in the Pei and Dokos areas of Evia have been told to evacuate to the nearby city of Chalkida. Meanwhile, those in the island's Pissonas area are ordered to move to the village of Katheni. In the southwestern region of Messinia, those in the Drosopigi and Malthi areas have been told to evacuate to the village of Mila. People in Chrisotopos and Revmatia, in the same part of the country, must move to the village of Zermpisia. Again in Messinia, those in the Aetos area should go to the town of Kopanaki. These are just the warnings issued over the last couple of hours, with many sent out to tourists and residents alike over the course of Saturday. Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. The continent's southernmost nation has always had hot and dry summers but is suffering increasingly devastating wildfires and scorching temperatures. Several blazes have broken out in the country in the past month as the whole of the Europe is hit with a red-hot heatwave this summer. The EU's fire monitoring system warns that the risk of yet more devastating blazes remains high as forecasters predict drier-than-average conditions for much of the continent through August. The high temperatures in Greece this week forced the iconic Acropolis, the country's most visited ancient site, to close for five hours from midday on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, strict new rules were implemented to protect workers from the heat. Couriers, food delivery riders and builders in the wider area of Athens and other regions were among those ordered to pause work from midday until 5pm. Workers with underlying health issues were advised to work remotely to avoid heat stress. National weather service EMY has said the heatwave that began on Monday is not expected to ease before Sunday. Temperatures were expected to increase throughout the week, after the scorching highs of 44C recorded in Athens on Tuesday. Similarly, across the Balkans, firefighters struggled to contain multiple blazes this week that threaten homes, nature reserves and tourist regions. Seven major fires were reported in North Macedonia, where temperatures of up to 42C were recorded on Tuesday. Five fires were out of control in Albania where temperatures ranged from 37C to 41C on Monday. In Croatia, a fire near the tourist town of Sibenik was being fought by dozens of civil emergency experts and six specialist planes. Some of the fires in North Macedonia had been burning for several days, notably one in the Ezerani natural park close to lake Prespa. The country's mayors have complained they do not have enough resources to battle the fires. According to the mayors' association, the 400 firefighters in North Macedonia are half the number the law lays down as the minimum. Their vehicles are on average 27 years old. Serbia was on a heat alert with highs around 38C on Monday but temperatures were expected to start falling. The country is already suffering from one of its worst droughts in living memory. Northern Bosnia was also braced for temperatures of up to 40C. Bulgarian authorities on Tuesday urged businesses to give away water and cut physical labour during high-risk hours. Meanwhile, Spain struggled to quell a series of wildfires that have already burned through more than 70,000 hectares of land in recent weeks. Firefighters managed to extinguish or control several blazes last weekend weekend but arid conditions sparked two fresh fires near the tourist hotspot of Malaga. One punishing fire was recorded threatening the main entrance of the Andalucia Technology Park (PTA) in Campanillas, near Malaga city. Another was spotted in Casares, near the Ignacio Molina wind farm. In both cases, firefighters and water-dropping helicopters were dispatched to calm the flames. The Italian island of Sicily has also battled several wildfires, with soaring temperatures leading authorities to issue red alert warnings for four provinces this week. Sicily's Forestry Corps and Civil Protection workers were engaged to extinguish the fires, with six water-dropping aircraft drafted in to control the flames. Three of the blazes were located in the northwest in the countryside between the cities of Palermo and Trapani. Two more were reported along the south coast and another in the suburbs of the eastern city of Catania. Horrifying images snapped on Monday evening by residents in Trapani showed thick orange flames scything through bone-dry hills on the outskirts of the city. Last weekend, meteorologists placed the eastern provinces of Catania, Caltanissetta, Enna and Messina under red alert warnings, with emergency services preparing for the prospect of yet more infernos. Wildfires have burned more than 227,000 hectares of land in Europe since the beginning of the year, according to the EU's European Forest Fire Information System - far above the average figure for the first six months of the year. It is not yet clear if 2025 will be a record year, as that will depend on how the fire season evolves in the coming months. But the number of fires in Europe has also surged this year so far, with 1,118 blazes detected as of July 8, versus 716 in the same period last year, EFFIS said. Countries are preparing for worse blazes. Warmer-than-average temperatures are forecast across Europe in August, EFFIS said, meaning fire danger will remain high across much of southern and eastern Europe. While Southern Europe is expected to see normal rainfall patterns, the rest of the continent is expected to be drier than normal in August, EFFIS said - potentially exacerbating fire risk in other regions. Across the globe, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with temperatures exceeding 1.5C above the pre-industrial era for the first time. Research published earlier this month showed the soil surface temperature around Athens rose in some places by as much as 10C since July 2024 after fires destroyed vegetation. Meanwhile, northern parts of the continent battled a different kind of extreme weather this week as deadly storms, tornadoes and giant hail hit France and Germany. Parts of the two nations have been lashed by violent storms that ripped roofs from homes and toppled trees. A tornado tore through an airport in central France, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, as hailstones the size of golf balls hammered southern Germany. These extreme weather events come after 2024 was officially declared the hottest year ever recorded, with temperatures exceeding 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The Foreign Office notes starting a wildfire is a criminal offence, even if unintentional. It therefore advises cigarettes are properly extinguished, barbecues are not be lit and no litter is left, especially glass, which is known to start fires. Fires - and being in immediate danger from them - should be reported to the emergency services by calling 112. Their advice should be followed in case of a fire. Tourists can follow @112Greece for official updates and contact their airline or travel operator for assistance with return travel back to the UK in the event of a fire. Further information is available on Greece's Civil Protection website and on the government's advice page for preparing for and responding to extreme weather and natural hazards.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Huge wildfires spreads across Athens and two popular Greek islands as thousands are evacuated
MASSIVE wildfires have erupted in Greece after a week-long heatwave peaked with temperatures surpassing 45 degrees. Thousands of people have reportedly been evacuated as fires swept villages near Athens and other Greek islands. 9 9 A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital on Saturday, and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country's Fire Service reported. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, some 12 miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas. While residents of the nearby village of Krioneri were instructed by authorities to evacuate. Explosions could be heard as huge clouds of smoke covered Drosopigi village, 15 miles north of Athens, where factories with flammable material are located. Helicopters dropped water, and 65 firefighters battled the flames, assisted by 26 vehicles and two aircraft. Fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest of Greece's two largest islands, Crete in the south and Evia. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight, authorities revealed. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the fire department said. Strong winds are causing the fire to spread rapidly and prompting evacuations of several settlements. On the island of Evia, 115 firefighters and 24 vehicles were deployed to put out fires, assisted by six aircraft and seven helicopters, but strong winds were hampering their efforts. Moment Brit expats tour smouldering shell of Cyprus home they fled as deadly wildfires hit Residents of the island's Triada area were told to be ready in case they needed to leave. The fire on Evia is the latest in a series of bushfires stoked by strong winds and dry conditions this month. On the island of Kythera, authorities evacuated the villages of Aroniadika, Pitsinades and Aryoi. In the area of Messinia, west of Athens, residents of the Kryoneri and Sellas villages were also told to leave. These sites were on a list of Greek regions on high alert for wildfires due to record-breaking temperatures and strong winds due on Saturday. Temperatures in Greece were forecast to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the Greek weather service said. Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month. Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers. 9 9 9 9 These have become more destructive in recent years. Earlier this month, some 1,500 people were evacuated after raging wildfires spread across Crete. The night sky turned orange as the burning blazes left a trail of destruction on the popular island. Evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island's south coast, authorities said. Homes were reportedly damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds. Meanwhile, devastating wildfires have again erupted in Turkey, with hundreds of people evacuated as massive blazes continue to rip through the country. Presidetn Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned of a "truly great disaster" after at least 13 people died in the fatal fires. New wildfires broke out on Turkey's Mediterranean coast on Friday, as the government declared two western provinces in the country to be "disaster zones". East of Antalya, fires broke out in Adana and Mersin on Friday. Elsewhere in the country, firefighters continued battling blazes in Eskisehir and nearby Karabuk that have been raging for several days. Meanwhile, Cyprus has been hit with its worst wildfires "for 50 years" amid growing fears a 44°C heatwave will fuel the blaze even further. The country has plunged into chaos after two people were burnt alive and more than 70 houses were destroyed. 9 9
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Wildfire burns through northern suburb of Athens as residents told to evacuate
A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Saturday and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country's fire service reported. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 12.5 miles (20km) north-east of Athens, received three SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, fire service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters. Greek media have shown houses on fire. Vathrakoyannis said: 'There have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.' 'The real difficulties are ahead of us,' he said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union's civil protection mechanism. On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters were attempting to put out the fire, the origin of which is unknown. Four ambulances were treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems. Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38C, dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames. Vathrakoyannis said that under such conditions wildfires 'expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days.' The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the south-west on Greece's two largest islands – Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens – and also on the island of Kythera, north-west of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, Vathrakoyannis said. Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month.
