Latest news with #GiannisKefalogiannis
Axios
28-07-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Wildfires in Turkey, Greece force thousands to evacuate in searing heat
Deadly wildfires engulfing parts of Turkey and Greece have forced thousands to evacuate, as much of the Mediterranean and Europe face what meteorologists are describing as an "exceptional," enduring heat wave. The big picture: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Spain have also seen fires driven by extremely dry conditions and powerful winds. Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal are among the countries impacted by the extreme heat, and a record high temperature of 50.5°C (122.9°F) was recorded in the southeastern Turkish city of Silopi on Friday. Zoom in: Firefighters in Turkey have been battling since June dozens of fires that have killed at least 15 people, with a Turkish official reporting Sunday that 3,515 people were evacuated from villages threatened by fires in the northwestern province of Bursa. Hundreds more were evacuated from the northern province of Karabuk, while the western provinces of Bilecik and İzmir were on Friday declared disaster zones due to the fires. Firefighters in Greece were facing powerful winds as they tackled multiple fires, as temperatures in the center of the country exceeded well over 100°F over the weekend. "We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed," climate crisis and civil protection minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said earlier, per the BBC. Zoom out: The EU has deployed firefighting aircraft to Greece, Italy, Croatia and Hungary and sent firefighting equipment to Syria from Germany, and France this wildfire season. Between the lines: More than two-thirds of most severe heat waves in Europe from 1950 onwards have occurred since 2000, according to data from the UN's World Meteorological Organization. "As a result of human-induced climate change, extreme heat is becoming more frequent and intense," per the WMO. The extreme heat is "leading to spikes in air pollution and a big risk of wildfires," the WMO notes. "This is coupled with a severe drought in some European countries." In addition to the the wildfires, a report from the EU's Copernicus notes Turkey and the Balkans are experiencing intensifying extreme dry conditions that are impacting crops and vegetation.
India Today
27-07-2025
- Climate
- India Today
'Total destruction' as Greece battles wildfires; homes burned, thousands evacuated
An aggressive wildfire swept through the northern Athens suburb of Kryoneri on Saturday, destroying homes and forcing emergency evacuations, as Greece and much of Southern Europe grapple with a brutal third heatwave this by scorching temperatures, dry conditions, and high winds, the blaze is one of dozens erupting across the region—straining emergency resources and placing thousands at risk.A video shared by Greek journalist Evangelo Sipsas on X shows the devastating wildfires. advertisement In Kythira, a third wildfire is engulfing a large part of the island, with residents describing scenes of "total destruction", BBC news reported. "We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed," Greece's Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis least two homes were engulfed, and five residents, mostly elderly citizens, were hospitalised with burns and smoke inhalation. Flames consume a home in Kryoneri. Firefighters try to extinguish flames from a house as a wildfire burns in the village of Kryoneri. Authorities sent three emergency SMS alerts to residents in Kryoneri, located approximately 20km northeast of Athens, instructing them to evacuate immediately. Residents were directed to head toward the city centre, away from the smoke and advancing fire lines.'The real difficulties are ahead of us,' said Fire Service spokesperson Vassilios Vathrakogiannis, warning that soaring temperatures and strong winds could worsen conditions in the coming days. Greece has requested six firefighting planes from the EU's Civil Protection nearby Drosopigi village, just 25 kilometres north of Athens, explosions echoed through the smoke-filled air. The area houses factories with flammable materials, raising fears of further danger. Fire crews scrambled to contain the blaze as helicopters doused flames from above. On the ground, 145 firefighters, 44 fire engines, 10 planes, and 7 helicopters have been deployed across the wider Athens region. This is southern Europe's third heatwave this summer, with temperatures in Greece reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday. The fire service said that 52 agroforestry fires have erupted in the past 24 hours, 44 of which were quickly such extreme conditions,' Vathrakogiannis said, 'wildfires expand very quickly and become dangerous.'Neighboring Albania also reported 26 fires across the country, including one that forced the evacuation of 2,000 people near the southern town of Delvina on Friday. Three people were injured in that incident. A firefighter battles the blaze near Athens. Aside from Athens, three other major wildfires are raging on the islands of Crete, Evia, and Kythera. In total, 335 firefighters, 19 planes, and 13 helicopters are operating across the nation—though air assets are limited to daylight many of them destructive, have become a common phenomenon in Greece in recent years.- EndsInputs from agencies
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens
Greece is battling five major wildfires across the country, with officials evacuating residents in a hard-hit region just 30km (18.6 miles) north of Athens. The smell of burning wood carried as far as central Athens, as Greece requested European Union assistance to fight the spreading blaze. The ongoing emergency comes amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C on Sunday, with the extreme heat expected to persist through most of the weekend. "We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed," Greece's Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said. High winds and scorching temperatures have fanned the flames. Greece has formally requested assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for six additional firefighting aircrafts. In Attica, the region where Athens is, a fire that started in Afidnes on Saturday spread rapidly through Drosopigi, Kryoneri and Agios Stefanos, forcing residents to flee. While the fire service says the main front has been contained, scattered hotspots continue to burn. More than 200 firefighters, supported by helicopters and water-bombing aircraft, are still operating in the area. On the island of Evia, officials said a second blaze near Pissona had got "out of control", moving quickly towards Afrati. Several villages, including Pournos and Mistros, have been left without electricity after flames destroyed pylons and power lines. Six firefighters have so far been taken to hospital with burns and smoke inhalation as 115 personnel continue to battle the flames. "The destruction is incalculable," said Dirfyon-Messapion mayor Giorgos Psathas. In Kythira, a third wildfire is engulfing a large part of the island, with residents describing scenes of "total destruction". Several settlements have been evacuated, and the coastguard, assisted by private boats, rescued 139 people from Limnionas beach, transporting them safely to Kapsali port. In Messinia, a fourth wildfire broke out in the Polithea area of Trifylia on Saturday morning and intensified later in the day. Five emergency alerts have been sent via Greece's 112 system urging people to leave multiple villages. Strong winds are making firefighting efforts difficult, with 84 firefighters, 30 vehicles and seven aircraft tackling the blaze. Meanwhile, in Crete's Chania region, a fifth wildfire is raging in Temenia. The fire started in two separate spots and quickly spread, destroying at least two homes. Officials said several regions remained under further fire threats, including the Ionian Islands, Western Greece, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, Attica, Epirus, Western Macedonia (Florina, Kastoria, Kozani), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Evros), Thessaly (Magnesia, Larisa, Trikala), the South Aegean (Rhodes) and Crete. Last month, fires on Greece's fifth-biggest island Chios, in the northern Aegean, destroyed 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of land. Early July, a wildfire on the island of Crete forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists.
BBC News
27-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens
Greece is battling five major wildfires across the country, with officials evacuating residents in a hard-hit region just 30km (18.6 miles) north of smell of burning wood carried as far as central Athens, as Greece requested European Union assistance to fight the spreading ongoing emergency comes amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C on Sunday, with the extreme heat expected to persist through most of the weekend."We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed," Greece's Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said. High winds and scorching temperatures have fanned the flames. Greece has formally requested assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for six additional firefighting Attica, the region where Athens is, a fire that started in Afidnes on Saturday spread rapidly through Drosopigi, Kryoneri and Agios Stefanos, forcing residents to the fire service says the main front has been contained, scattered hotspots continue to burn. More than 200 firefighters, supported by helicopters and water-bombing aircraft, are still operating in the the island of Evia, officials said a second blaze near Pissona had got "out of control", moving quickly towards Afrati. Several villages, including Pournos and Mistros, have been left without electricity after flames destroyed pylons and power lines. Six firefighters have so far been taken to hospital with burns and smoke inhalation as 115 personnel continue to battle the flames. "The destruction is incalculable," said Dirfyon-Messapion mayor Giorgos Psathas. In Kythira, a third wildfire is engulfing a large part of the island, with residents describing scenes of "total destruction". Several settlements have been evacuated, and the coastguard, assisted by private boats, rescued 139 people from Limnionas beach, transporting them safely to Kapsali Messinia, a fourth wildfire broke out in the Polithea area of Trifylia on Saturday morning and intensified later in the day. Five emergency alerts have been sent via Greece's 112 system urging people to leave multiple villages. Strong winds are making firefighting efforts difficult, with 84 firefighters, 30 vehicles and seven aircraft tackling the in Crete's Chania region, a fifth wildfire is raging in Temenia. The fire started in two separate spots and quickly spread, destroying at least two homes. Officials said several regions remained under further fire threats, including the Ionian Islands, Western Greece, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, Attica, Epirus, Western Macedonia (Florina, Kastoria, Kozani), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Evros), Thessaly (Magnesia, Larisa, Trikala), the South Aegean (Rhodes) and month, fires on Greece's fifth-biggest island Chios, in the northern Aegean, destroyed 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of July, a wildfire on the island of Crete forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists.
New York Times
26-06-2025
- New York Times
Housekeeper Arrested Over Wildfire That Scorched Greek Island
A 35-year-old housekeeper was arrested in Greece on Tuesday in connection with devastating wildfires that tore across the island of Chios this week, officials said. 'She'd been smoking,' Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis, the spokesman of the Hellenic Fire Service said of the housekeeper, who he said was a Georgian woman. Five blazes, the first of which broke out on Sunday, collectively consumed more than 11,000 acres of the island. A news release from the fire service said a foreign woman had been arrested on the north of the island, near where the last of the fires sprang up on Monday. The blazes razed huge swaths of the island's forestland, forcing the evacuation of more than a dozen villages. Firefighters from across the country were rushed to the island on planes and ferries to battle the blaze; more than 400 were eventually deployed. As Greece approaches its summer wildfire season, the Chios fire was a reminder of a grim reality for the nation, where furious wildfires have become a regular part of life, especially as climate change has made the country hotter and drier. Chios is one of the largest islands in the Aegean Sea, known for resin-producing mastic trees which hardly grow anywhere else in the world. Used for things like pharmaceuticals, beauty products and liquor, the trees are a critical driver for the local economy, and a draw for tourists. While not as popular as some other Greek islands, Chios sees an influx of visitors during the summer months, also the height of wildfire season. The trees have been periodically threatened by wildfires on the island, including in 2012, when a wildfire destroyed more than half of the island's mastic tree population, causing a global shortage of the valuable resin. The fires this week damaged some of the island's trees, according to local media, but did not burn the southern part of the island, where the majority of the mastic trees grow. Three of the blazes started on Sunday; another two began on Monday amid sweltering, windy conditions. Firefighters had contained most of the fires by Thursday, as winds calmed. Soon after the fires began spreading on Sunday, fire officials deployed investigators from the fire service's Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes. The scope of the fires, and their presence in multiple, unconnected areas of the island, suggested to officials that they did not begin naturally. 'We will not hide behind words: When fires break out simultaneously in such scattered locations, we must speak of suspicious activity,' said Giannis Kefalogiannis, the country's Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, in a Greek-language statement on Monday. Niki Kitsantonis and Matina Stevis-Gridneff contributed reporting.
