Latest news with #Chios
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Climate
- SBS Australia
Thousands evacuated, as fires continue to rage across southern Europe
Giorgios Mavros picks his way through rubble and charred debris in what remains of his home in Volissos, on the northern Aegean island of Chios, in Greece. The 60-year old's house was burned in fires which started on Tuesday, then quickly spread across more than 30 kilometres, burning forests, farmland, vehicles and homes, and forcing evacuations across multiple villages. Standing in the rubble of the home built by his father in 1982, Mr Mavros says he can't imagine starting over at his age. (Greek then English vo) "What am I supposed to do? Build a home from scratch? I am 60 years old, with two kids in university. My daughter is studying in Volos, she left to come to Volissos for two months to work as a receptionist in rental rooms, and now all her stuff burned in here, her degrees, her personal items, her laptop, everything.' Firefighters have battled multiple wildfires across Greece in recent days, including blazes threatening villages and towns near the western city of Patras, Greece's third-largest city. It's prompted thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate. The extreme European summer heat, which scientists say is becoming longer and more intense due to human-driven climate change , has fuelled similarly intense wildfires across Southern Europe, including in Spain, Portugal and the Balkans. 3600 firefighters continue to battle massive blazes in Portugal, and the country is under a state of alert until Sunday [[17 aug]], with no immediate sign of the heatwave lifting. Agustinha Nobre is a resident in the village of Benvende in Trancoso in the country's north. (Portuguese then English vo) 'It was a very difficult few hours. I thought I was going to lose my house. I was never in a situation like this. This was horrendous, the flames, luckily the land was watered down. I put water in the back and the firefighters managed to help otherwise my house and my sister's house would not survive.' Authorities in Spain have reported a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter is the third person to have died from fire related injuries, after suffering severe burns while battling flames in the northwestern Castile and Leon region. Thousands of people remain evacuated from their homes as nearly two dozen fires continued to rage across the country, particularly in Castile and Leon, and the Galicia region in far north-western Spain, where active fires span more than 200 square kilometres. 44-year old Beatriz Madrid is among residents forced to evacuate the rural village of Abejera de Tabara. She says the village had little support from firefighters, who were sent to other prioritised areas. (Spanish then English vo) 'We saw a smoke column we thought was quickly going to disappear, but since there was another fire in the area of Cubo de Benavente and Molezuelas there were no resources. Galicia and half of Spain is also on fire. In Spain's rural areas there are no resources, so we are abandoned.' In Albania, the Defence Ministry says wildfires are still active in 23 locations across the country, despite winds easing. Emergency personnel continue to tackle several blazes in the southernmost Delvine and central Gramsh districts, and dozens of residents have been evacuated from villages near the city of Polican. As southern Europe continues to grapple with some of their worst summer fires in decades, the European Union has sent support to Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania. European Union spokesperson Eva Hrncirova says the E-U has responded to multiple requests for assistance, and is sending firefighters to join national teams around Europe. "Spain asked for assistance and activated the civil protection mechanism for the first time ever. For the forest fires. And we quickly mobilised two rescue planes that were stationed in France and they are expected to be deployed today. Greece activated the mechanism 2 days ago in response to Swedish rescue helicopters currently in Bulgaria are expected to be deployed." As fires continue to rage, dozens of arrests have been made across the continent . Spanish police have arrested a man in Zamora province for starting a fire on a plot of land used to dump rubbish illegally. Another man was arrested for provoking six fires earlier in August in the southern province of Malaga according to local police, and another 38 people are under investigation for deliberately starting forest fires. In Albania, police have arrested 46 suspected arsonists, and have launched cases against 91 others for lighting fires.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-06-2025
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Forest Fire Near Athens Under Control, But Area on High Alert
Greek firefighters said Friday that a forest blaze that had forced evacuations around Athens was under control, but warned that scorching temperatures were keeping fire risk at a highly elevated level around the capital and on northern Aegean islands. Greece has become particularly vulnerable in recent years to fires in the summer fueled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change. The fire around Athens broke on Thursday afternoon near the towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Athens, and forced the evacuation of five villages popular with local and foreign tourists, AFP reported. Though it was under control on Friday, a volatile combination of high temperatures and strong winds meant that a high risk of other fires breaking out remained, especially in the Attica region around the Greek capital and some islands in the north Aegean Sea, authorities said. A spokesman for the fire service told AFP that over 100 firefighters with 37 vehicles and a helicopter were on standby near Palaia Fokaia and Thymari. Fields, olive groves and some houses were ravaged by the blaze. The blaze came on the heels of another fire on the island of Chios -- Greece's fifth-largest island -- which had destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of land in four days. Weather agencies forecast a heatwave in the coming days with temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), including in the capital Athens.
Arab News
27-06-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Forest fire near Athens under control, but area on high alert
ATHENS: Greek firefighters said Friday that a forest blaze that had forced evacuations around Athens was under control, but warned that scorching temperatures were keeping fire risk at a highly elevated level around the capital and on northern Aegean islands. Greece has become particularly vulnerable in recent years to fires in the summer fueled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change. The fire around Athens broke on Thursday afternoon near the towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Athens, and forced the evacuation of five villages popular with local and foreign tourists. Though it was under control on Friday, a volatile combination of high temperatures and strong winds meant that a high risk of other fires breaking out remained, especially in the Attica region around the Greek capital and some islands in the north Aegean Sea, authorities said. A spokesman for the fire service told AFP that over 100 firefighters with 37 vehicles and a helicopter were on standby near Palaia Fokaia and Thymari. Fields, olive groves and some houses were ravaged by the blaze. The blaze came on the heels of another fire on the island of Chios — Greece's fifth-largest island — which had destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of land in four days. Weather agencies forecast a heatwave in the coming days with temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), including in the capital Athens.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Dozens evacuated as forest fire rages near Athens
A violent forest fire devastated several seaside towns east of Athens on Thursday, damaging homes and prompting dozens of evacuations in a popular destination for Greek and foreign tourists. The fire broke around 12.30pm local time (9.30am UK time) near the towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari, around 30 miles east of Athens, and forced the evacuation of five villages, according to Greek firefighters. It comes on the heels of another fire on the island of Chios - Greece 's fifth-largest island - which as of Wednesday had destroyed more than 10,000 acres of land in four days. 'Ground and aerial forces are waging an enormous battle against the flames,' said fire service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, adding that around 130 firefighters as well as volunteers were fighting the blaze, and around a dozen planes and helicopters had been deployed. 'This is a difficult fire fuelled by strong winds,' another fire service official told AFP. Kostas Tsiguas, president of the firefighters' union, said at least 50 people had been evacuated so far. Temperatures reached up to 40 degrees Celsius in the Athens region on Thursday, with forecasts indicating that the heatwave could continue until Saturday. In the past 24 hours, 45 fires had broken out in Greece, firefighters said. 'Residents told us the fire started because of a spark from a faulty electric cable,' he told national TV. Greece has become particularly vulnerable in recent years to fires in summer fuelled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change. Earlier this week, hundreds of firefighters backed up by aircraft were battling a wildfire burning out of control for the third day on the Greek island of Chios after authorities declared a state of emergency. Towering walls of flames tore through forest and agricultural land on the island, where authorities have sent firefighting reinforcements from Athens, the northern city of Thessaloniki and the nearby island of Lesbos. By Tuesday morning, the fire department said 444 firefighters with 85 vehicles were tackling the blaze on scattered fronts. Eleven helicopters and two water-dropping planes were providing air support. Emergency services have issued evacuation orders for villages and settlements in the area since Sunday, when fires broke out near the island's main town. Apocalyptic scenes captured in images and videos showed firefighters battling the flames as the wildfires raged on, while thick plumes of black smoke filled the sky. Other footage showed helicopters spraying water over smoke-filled fields. The fire department has sent an arson investigation team to Chios to examine the cause of the blaze. 'We are faced with simultaneous fires in multiple, geographically unconnected parts of the island - a pattern that cannot be considered coincidental,' Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said Monday from Chios. Authorities, he said, were 'very seriously examining the possibility of an organized criminal act, in other words arson.' The minister said police forces on the island had been reinforced, while military patrols had been doubled.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Dozens evacuated as forest fire rages near Athens just days after blaze ripped through another Greek holiday island
A violent forest fire devastated several seaside towns east of Athens on Thursday, damaging homes and prompting dozens of evacuations in a popular destination for Greek and foreign tourists. The fire broke around 12.30pm local time (9.30am UK time) near the towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari, around 30 miles east of Athens, and forced the evacuation of five villages, according to Greek firefighters. It comes on the heels of another fire on the island of Chios - Greece 's fifth-largest island - which as of Wednesday had destroyed more than 10,000 acres of land in four days. 'Ground and aerial forces are waging an enormous battle against the flames,' said fire service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, adding that around 130 firefighters as well as volunteers were fighting the blaze, and around a dozen planes and helicopters had been deployed. 'This is a difficult fire fuelled by strong winds,' another fire service official told AFP. Kostas Tsiguas, president of the firefighters' union, said at least 50 people had been evacuated so far. Temperatures reached up to 40 degrees Celsius in the Athens region on Thursday, with forecasts indicating that the heatwave could continue until Saturday. In the past 24 hours, 45 fires had broken out in Greece, firefighters said. In Athens, police closed off the main coastal avenue that connects the capital to Cape Sounion, near the fire area. The region is popular among foreigners and Greek tourists, with many Athenians owning secondary homes or vacationing in the area. The deputy mayor of Palaia Fokaia, Stavros Petropoulos, described the situation as 'dramatic'. 'Residents told us the fire started because of a spark from a faulty electric cable,' he told national TV. Greece has become particularly vulnerable in recent years to fires in summer fuelled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change. Earlier this week, hundreds of firefighters backed up by aircraft were battling a wildfire burning out of control for the third day on the Greek island of Chios after authorities declared a state of emergency. Towering walls of flames tore through forest and agricultural land on the island, where authorities have sent firefighting reinforcements from Athens, the northern city of Thessaloniki and the nearby island of Lesbos. By Tuesday morning, the fire department said 444 firefighters with 85 vehicles were tackling the blaze on scattered fronts. Eleven helicopters and two water-dropping planes were providing air support. Emergency services have issued evacuation orders for villages and settlements in the area since Sunday, when fires broke out near the island's main town. Apocalyptic scenes captured in images and videos showed firefighters battling the flames as the wildfires raged on, while thick plumes of black smoke filled the sky. Other footage showed helicopters spraying water over smoke-filled fields. The fire department has sent an arson investigation team to Chios to examine the cause of the blaze. 'We are faced with simultaneous fires in multiple, geographically unconnected parts of the island - a pattern that cannot be considered coincidental,' Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said Monday from Chios. Greece has declared a state of emergency as wildfires burned for the third day in the island of Chios Authorities, he said, were 'very seriously examining the possibility of an organized criminal act, in other words arson.' The minister said police forces on the island had been reinforced, while military patrols had been doubled. 'Whoever thinks that they can play with the lives of citizens and cause chaos with premeditated actions will be led to court,' Kefalogiannis said. 'Arson is a serious crime and will be dealt with as such.'
