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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Climate
- Wales Online
UK tourists warned wildfires have broken out in popular travel hotspots
UK tourists warned wildfires have broken out in popular travel hotspots Wildfires have broken out across Greece and people have been told to evacuate amid a national emergency - and UK holidaymakers are being warned about the blazes Flames spread rapidly across a large area due to strong winds after a wildfire in the Fotia region of Patra, Greece. (Image: Yannis Andritsopoulos/Anadolu via Getty Images) British holidaymakers are being cautioned about wildfires erupting throughout Greece. Emergency crews are tackling blazes whilst residents have been evacuated from areas surrounding the Ionian islands. Authorities have mandated the evacuation of numerous villages as severe drought conditions and powerful winds have accelerated the fire's spread. Significant blazes have been burning across Zante, Kefalonia and Chios. Greek officials have confirmed that forests, agricultural land and properties have sustained damage nationwide. Additional structures affected include storage facilities, farm buildings, small churches and retail premises. This development follows warnings to tourists about extreme temperatures expected in Spain following the declaration of an uncommon "red" emergency alert there. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here The Hellenic Fire Service confirmed that dozens of firefighters have been combating a blaze in Kefalonia's Athera region. Article continues below A statement posted on its X account read: "Fire in an agroforestry area in the Athera region, #Kefalonia . "32 #firefighters were mobilized with 2 groups of hikers of the 16th #EMODE , volunteers, 8 vehicles and 2 helicopters. Assistance from local water authorities.", reports Chronicle Live. Greek emergency services have reportedly confronted approximately 106 fires nationwide. Roughly 63 of these incidents are believed to have been logged on Tuesday, according to the Mirror. Greek authorities have declared elevated fire risks across the following areas: The Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection has issued over a dozen evacuation orders for parts of western Greece. In an announcement made on Wednesday, officials highlighted a high risk on the mainland and Ionian islands. It will keep you abreast with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East. Greek authorities have called for EU firefighting aircraft in an effort to halt the spread of the blaze. Holidaymakers caught up in the swift advance of the flames have been evacuated from beaches on Chios. The most significant fire ignited near Flogeraika, in western Achaia, yesterday. Officials subsequently evacuated all surrounding villages and settlements. The mayor of western Achaia described the fires in the region as "out of control." Grigoris Alexopoulos stated yesterday that some coastal areas were "irreparably damaged." Greek authorities cautioned that conditions could worsen in the upcoming days. Several homes have been razed in Agalas village in Zakynthos. Three distinct fires have reportedly been spotted near Koiliomeno, Keri and Lithakia. Article continues below Enormous fires have been observed spreading across the countryside in Vounteni, on the outskirts of Patras. The fires could be seen consuming much of the nearby hills as residents fled. The fires in Greece have occurred amidst soaring temperatures across Europe. Red heat alerts have been issued in regions of Italy, Spain and Portugal with temperatures reaching a sweltering 44C in Seville and Cordoba.
Sky News
05-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Wildfires break out in Turkey, Syria and Greece - with towns near Athens evacuated
Wildfires have broken out on an island and in towns near Athens in Greece, with blazes also being sparked in Turkey and Syria. The Hellenic Fire Service and local authorities said that two villages - Tsakeoi and Limnionas - had been evacuated on the island of Evia after the blaze started late on Friday. One fire service official said more than 160 firefighters, 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia to put out the fire. Southern Evia, to the east of Athens, was one of several regions in Greece placed on high alert for wildfires over gale-force winds forecast for today. Images from Koropi, a town to the southwest of Athens, also show houses burnt down and helicopters dropping water on burning forests. It marks the latest wildfires to break out in Greece - where blazes are common during the summer - as it tackles strong winds and dry conditions amid an early summer heatwave in southern Europe. at least nine deaths across the continent. A wildfire broke out in Achlia on the island of Crete on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate - with some taken to a nearby basketball arena and hotels in safer parts of the island. The fire service official told Reuters on Friday that the fire in Crete was largely contained. Meanwhile, blazes have also broken out on Turkey's west coast - the latest in a series of blazes which started in late June - as well as its southerly neighbour Syria. At least five fires have been reported in Izmir after extreme heat, strong winds and low humidity. Two people have been killed by the blazes, while tens of thousands have been evacuated. Fires also flared on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border on Friday, with a new blaze reported near the town of Dortyol in Turkey's border province of Hatay. The government department added that conditions have hampered efforts to bring the fire under control, and noted unexploded ordnance could be in some of the areas affected.
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.
New York Times
24-06-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
Villages Evacuated on Greek Island as Wildfires Rage
Hundreds of firefighters in Greece are battling a series of wildfires on the island of Chios, where officials declared an emergency and more than a dozen communities were evacuated. Three blazes broke out on Chios on Sunday, in the areas of Kofina, Agia Anna and Agios Makarios Vrontadon, the country's Hellenic Fire Service said in a statement. Two more followed, leaving five fires burning as of Monday evening. More than 400 firefighters have been deployed to the island, sent by planes and boats. Thirteen helicopters and four firefighting planes were also deployed. Chios is one of the largest islands in the Aegean Sea, known for its resin-producing mastic trees. While not as popular with tourists as some other Greek islands, it sees an influx of visitors during the summer months, also the height of wildfire season. 'The situation on the island since yesterday has been quite difficult because we constantly have new fronts and resurgences and the climatic conditions are not favorable,' said Giannis Kefalogiannis, the country's Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, in a Greek-language statement on Monday. Fire brigades faced multiple blazes in unconnected areas of the island, the fire service said, raising suspicion that the fires may be a product of arson. Officials have dispatched increased police and military patrols. 'We will not hide behind words: When fires break out simultaneously in such scattered locations, we must speak of suspicious activity,' Mr. Kefalogiannis said in a Greek-language statement later Monday evening. 'And if it is verified that these are coordinated arson actions, then we are dealing with a dangerous, criminal attack on society, the environment and life.' Wildfires have long been a part of life in Greece, with its hot and dry climate. But local authorities say they have seen an uptick in the both the number and intensity of the blazes in recent years, which many experts attribute to climate change. The authorities in Greece deployed a record number of firefighters this year in anticipation of worsening fire seasons, Mr. Kefalogiannis said in April. In recent years, the country has increased its fire patrols, used thermal imaging drones and earmarked more than 2 billion euros for new fire detection technology in an effort to manage the worsening fire seasons. Extreme heat and high winds over the weekend turned much of Chios into a tinderbox, where fires spread quickly and were difficult to contain, officials told local media. Additional firefighters have been brought to the island by boat, or flown in to help fortify the crews battling the fires, the Greek fire service said. Officials from the Directorate to Investigate Arson Crimes arrived to the island to investigate the cause of the blaze, the Hellenic Fire Service said. The first three fires broke out at one-hour intervals, with a fourth and a fifth starting early Monday.
New York Times
23-06-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
Villages Evacuated on Greek Tourist Island as Wildfires Rage
Firefighters in Greece are battling a series of wildfires on the popular island destination of Chios, where officials declared an emergency and a dozen communities were evacuated over the weekend, according to state media. Three blazes broke out on Chios on Sunday, in the areas of Kofina, Agia Anna and Agios Makarios Vrontadon, the country's Hellenic Fire Service said in a Greek-language statement. It deployed 190 firefighters to battle the fire, and another 170 were expected on the island on Monday. Thirteen helicopters and four firefighting planes were also deployed. Chios is one of the largest islands in the Aegean Sea, where throngs of tourists flock during the summer months, also the height of wildfire season. 'The situation on the island since yesterday has been quite difficult because we constantly have new fronts and resurgences and the climatic conditions are not favorable,' said Giannis Kefalogiannis, the country's Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, in a Greek-language statement on Monday. Wildfires have long been a part of life in Greece, with its hot and dry climate. But local authorities say they have seen an uptick in the both the number and intensity of the blazes in recent years, which many experts attribute to climate change. The authorities in Greece deployed a record number of firefighters this year in anticipation of worsening fire seasons, Mr. Kefalogiannis said in April. In recent years, the country has increased its fire patrols, used thermal imaging drones and earmarked more than 2 billion euros for new fire detection technology in an effort to manage the worsening fire seasons. Extreme heat and high winds over the weekend turned much of Chios into a tinderbox, where fires spread quickly and were difficult to contain, officials told local media. Additional firefighters have been brought to the island by boat, or flown in to help fortify the crews battling the fires, the Greek fire service said. Officials from the Directorate to Investigate Arson Crimes are traveling to the island to investigate the cause of the blaze, the Hellenic Fire Service said. The three separate fires broke out at one-hour intervals.
