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Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Horror moment desperate families run into the SEA to flee wildfires on holiday island as deadly blazes rip through towns
THIS is the terrifying moment Greek families dash into the sea and swim away in a desperate attempt to escape deadly wildfires. Heart-stopping footage showed Hellenic Red Cross volunteers pulling up frightened survivors as a hellish inferno tore through their neighbourhood. 5 Horrifying footage showed desperate locals swim in the sea to escape the blaze Credit: Instagram/hellenicredcross 5 Firefighters working to battle another blaze in Greece Credit: Instagram/hellenicredcross 5 Wildfires raged on across their neighbourhood Credit: Instagram/hellenicredcross 5 The dramatic footage was captured in Vrachneika, Achaia, over 200km from the Greek capital, Athens, on Tuesday. It showed a frantic rescue operation unfold, with several locals being hauled onto a boat after jumping into the water to avoid the flames. In the distance, nightmare wildfires can be seen ripping through the landscape. The sky appears to be filled with ash, the only light piercing through the grey clouds being the orange hue coming from the hellish flames. READ MORE WORLD NEWS BLAZE TRAGEDY At least one dead in Greece as rapidly spreading wildfires rage across Europe It comes as fire crews across the country race to contain a number of other wildfires. In Patras, jaw-dropping footage showed flames violently burning through trees around two bridges. The nightmare scenes showed strong winds gushing through the area, sparking even more trees alight. The wildfires have not only hit Greece - they have also been reported in a range of other Brit holiday hotspots across Europe. Wildfires killed one person in Spain as authorities warned the situation remained "serious". The 37-year-old volunteer firefighter sustained severe burns north of Madrid before succumbing to his injuries earlier this week. A major incident has been declared by firefighters tackling a large moor fire in the North York Moors National Park It was the third reported death in Spain due to the recent horror fires. Thousands of holidaymakers have been evacuated from their hotels as the massive fires continue to wreak havoc. Tourists were fleeing Greece's Zakynthos and Kefalonia islands "by the minute" on Wednesday as fires continued to rip through the Mediterranean. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said could have been deliberately set. Evacuation centres were also filled to max capacity in parts of central Spain, with some spending the night outdoors on folding beds. Services along a high-speed rail link between Madrid and the northwestern Galicia region were suspended after fires got close to some sections of the tracks, state rail company Renfe said. In Turkey, a forestry worker was killed on Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in a southern region, officials said. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. In Greece - the latest country to face the wrath of raging fires - officials ordered young Brit revellers to leave hotels as a "precautionary measure". One local official spoke of "an unending nightmare" as houses, farms and factories in the city of Patras and large parts of northern and central Greece have been devastated by the flames. Since Wednesday morning, 4,850 firefighters backed by the army and 33 planes have been scrambled across Greece.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Horror moment desperate families run into the SEA to flee wildfires on holiday island as deadly blazes rip through towns
THIS is the terrifying moment Greek families dash into the sea and swim away in a desperate attempt to escape deadly wildfires. Heart-stopping footage showed Hellenic Red Cross volunteers pulling up frightened survivors as a hellish inferno tore through their neighbourhood. 5 5 5 The dramatic footage was captured in Vrachneika, Achaia, over 200km from the Greek capital, Athens, on Tuesday. It showed a frantic rescue operation unfold, with several locals being hauled onto a boat after jumping into the water to avoid the flames. In the distance, nightmare wildfires can be seen ripping through the landscape. The sky appears to be filled with ash, the only light piercing through the grey clouds being the orange hue coming from the hellish flames. It comes as fire crews across the country race to contain a number of other wildfires. In Patras, jaw-dropping footage showed flames violently burning through trees around two bridges. The nightmare scenes showed strong winds gushing through the area, sparking even more trees alight. The wildfires have not only hit Greece - they have also been reported in a range of other Brit holiday hotspots across Europe. Wildfires killed one person in Spain as authorities warned the situation remained "serious". The 37-year-old volunteer firefighter sustained severe burns north of Madrid before succumbing to his injuries earlier this week. A major incident has been declared by firefighters tackling a large moor fire in the North York Moors National Park It was the third reported death in Spain due to the recent horror fires. Thousands of holidaymakers have been evacuated from their hotels as the massive fires continue to wreak havoc. Tourists were fleeing Greece's Zakynthos and Kefalonia islands "by the minute" on Wednesday as fires continued to rip through the Mediterranean. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said could have been deliberately set. Evacuation centres were also filled to max capacity in parts of central Spain, with some spending the night outdoors on folding beds. Services along a high-speed rail link between Madrid and the northwestern Galicia region were suspended after fires got close to some sections of the tracks, state rail company Renfe said. In Turkey, a forestry worker was killed on Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in a southern region, officials said. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. In Greece - the latest country to face the wrath of raging fires - officials ordered young Brit revellers to leave hotels as a "precautionary measure". One local official spoke of "an unending nightmare" as houses, farms and factories in the city of Patras and large parts of northern and central Greece have been devastated by the flames. Since Wednesday morning, 4,850 firefighters backed by the army and 33 planes have been scrambled across Greece.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Heart-stopping moment Greek locals rush to the sea and SWIM to rescue boats as they desperately try to escape wildfires 
This is the heart-stopping moment Greek locals ran into the sea and swam to rescue boats to escape wildfires. Dramatic footage shows volunteers of the Hellenic Red Cross hauling the terrified people aboard as a dark, ash-filled sky looms overhead and flames rage. The rescue operation unfolded in Vrachneika, Achaia, after the blaze broke out at noon on Tuesday and continued to burn until Wednesday. Fire crews in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are racing to contain wildfires, taking advantage of calmer winds that slowed their advance. Much of southern Europe, however, remains at high risk under hot, dry conditions on Thursday. A drop in wind speeds allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts. Authorities warned that extreme temperatures are likely to persist. Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of Madrid this week. It was the third reported death in Spain because of the recent fires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still cannot return. In Greece, the fire service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set. The European Union's civil protection agency said it responded to requests for assistance this week from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Albania, sending firefighting planes and helicopters from other member states. The agency said it had already activated assistance 16 times amid this summer's wildfires as European countries have been hit by 'a high number of catastrophic wildfires'. The number of activations for 2025 already matches the total for wildfires during the entire 2024 fire season, it said. In Albania, wildfires in central and southern parts of the country were contained after gutting more than 200 homes. The country's prime minister Edi Rama promised that police would work 'day and night' to apprehend suspected arsonists blamed by the government for causing some of the fires. Across the Mediterranean Sea, Morocco battled its largest wildfire of the year this week near Bab Taza, in the north of the country, which burned dense forest, fuelled by strong winds and high temperatures. Authorities said water-dropping aircraft and more than 450 personnel successfully contained the blaze. A second wildfire near Tetouan, further north, was also brought under control. It comes after deadly wildfires which have claimed the lives of at least three people have spread across several British tourist hotspots forcing thousands of evacuations as a scorching heatwave continues to tear through Europe. Sunseekers have been fleeing Greece's Zakynthos and Kefalonia islands 'by the minute' as raging infernos continue to rip through the Med. A British bar worker on Zakynthos told Sky News he joined emergency services and locals to help combat a 'shocking' fire near a popular tourist resort. Since dawn on Wednesday, 4,850 firefighters backed by the army and 33 planes were mobilised across Greece on what promised to be 'a very difficult day', fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. In popular party-resort Laganas, officials ordered young Brit revellers to leave hotels as a 'precautionary measure' after the fires shot clouds of black smoke over the area. 'It's a cocktail of high temperatures, strong winds... and minimal humidity,' the head of civil protection for Western Greece, Nikos Gyftakis, told public broadcaster ERT. One local official spoke of 'an unending nightmare' as a blaze near the ancient Mycenaean archaeological site of Voudeni, just four miles from Patras, Greece's third-largest city, threatened forested zones and homes, while 7,700 people were evacuated from a nearby town. A forestry worker was killed Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in southern Turkey, officials said. The Forestry Ministry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire truck that left four others injured. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July.
STV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- STV News
At least three dead as wildfires rage across southern Europe
Some European countries have sent forces to Greece and Montenegro to help tackle the fires, as ITV News' Chloe Keedy reports. At least three people have died and thousands have been forced to flee as wildfires continued to rage across southern Europe and the continent experiences a wave of extreme heat. Firefighting resources were stretched thin in many affected countries as they battled multiple outbreaks following weeks of heat waves and temperature spikes across Mediterranean Europe. Fires blazed on the Greek mainland, the Patras area and the islands of Zakynthos and Chios. Alongside firefighting efforts, residents have been trying to hold the flames off with buckets of water. Outside the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through olive groves. Residents were forced to flee with their pets into the sea, as the fire moved closer to the beaches. They were rescued by the Hellenic Red Cross, who transported them to safety by boat. On the Greek island of Chios, exhausted firefighters slept on the roadside after working all night to douse the flames. International cooperation has been required to tackle the large number of fires. Romanian and Czech fire crews were deployed to Megara, around 40 kilometres from Athens. Burned cars sit in a lot near Patras in Greece. / Credit: AP Greece, in turn, sent assistance to neighbouring Albania, where an 80-year-old man died in a blaze south of the capital, Tirana, officials said on Wednesday. Residents of four villages were evacuated in central Albania near a former army ammunition depot. In the southern Korca district, near the Greek border, explosions were reported from buried Second World War-era artillery shells. Montenegro has received aid from a number of countries after dozens of fires sparked across the nation. Croatia and Italy sent firefighting planes, Serbia and Croatia sent helicopters, and Australia dispatched firefighting crews. A Montenegrin soldier died and another was seriously injured on Tuesday, after a water tanker overturned. The accident was caused by reduced visibility from the thick smoke, according to authorities. Fires light up the mountainside on Tuesday night, near Montenegro's capital Podgorica. A firefighting volunteer in the hard-hit Castile and León region north of Madrid, where thousands have been displaced by evacuations, died fighting the blaze. Evacuation centres were full in parts of central Spain, with some people forced to spend the night outdoors on folding beds. Spain's government raised its national emergency response level, preparing additional support for regional authorities overseeing multiple evacuations and highway closures. A forestry worker was also killed on Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in southern Turkey, officials said. The Forestry Ministry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire engine that left four others injured. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. A seaplane drops water on a wildfire in Maceda, northwestern Spain. / Credit: AP In Portugal, more than 700 firefighters attempted to douse a fire in Trancoso, northeast of Lisbon. It was believed the fire was close to being extinguished on Tuesday after burning for five days, but high winds overnight reignited it several times, causing flames to creep closer to houses. One woman told Portugal's public broadcasting channel that residents had to step in to protect nearby buildings, as firefighters were deployed elsewhere. Authorities across European countries have cited multiple causes for the massive fires, including careless farming practices, improperly maintained power cables and summer lightning storms. Europe has also experienced another period of extreme heat, with temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. Scientists have warned that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness across the south of Europe. The continent is warming up faster than any other in the world. Temperatures have increased at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Services. Last year was the hottest on record, both globally and in Europe, according to the monitoring agency. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
26-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Evacuation orders as wildfires spread to holiday island visited by 780,000 Brits
Towering walls of flames tore through forest and agricultural land on the island of Chios, where authorities have declared a state of emergency. Now an evacuation order has been issued in part of Crete An evacuation order has been issued for part of Crete, which has become the latest Greek island to be hit by wildfires. An alarm was raised on Thursday morning at the Heraklion Fire Department, as a fire broke out in a rural area near Tsigouna in the municipality of Phaistos, Ellada 24 reports. Around 20 fire trucks and 54 firefighters, as well as two helicopters, are battling to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to surrounding areas. Residents of the Tsigouna area of the Phaistos municipality were first told to be alert and follow the instructions of the authorities, before an evacuation order was issued. Then, another 112 emergency alert was sent, calling for evacuation. The fires are currently burning in the south of the island, in an area roughly 20 miles from the capital, Heraklion. Crete covers 3,260 square miles of landmass (enough to make it the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica) and is beloved by Brits. Around 780,000 UK passport holders visit the Greek island each year. Crete is not the only Greek island hit by wildfires so far this year, as scorching hot temperatures ignite tinderbox-dry regions. A wildfire has been raging uncontrollably all week on the eastern Aegean island of Chios, with hundreds of firefighters and aircraft battling the blaze, and multiple evacuation orders issued. The fire has engulfed vast swathes of forest and farmland on the island, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency. Firefighting reinforcements have been dispatched from Athens, Thessaloniki in the north, and the neighbouring island of Lesbos. Anastasia, a Hellenic Red Cross volunteer who has been battling the fires on Chios, told The Mirror: "The situation is critical, as strong winds are making firefighting efforts more difficult and continue to spread the flames across several areas. READ MORE: 'Secret weapon' lets you beat Ryanair and easyJet luggage rules "I decided to come to Chios as a volunteer because I wanted to contribute directly to the response to this serious natural disaster affecting the island and its local communities. My experience so far has been intense and deeply moving — witnessing firsthand the hard work and dedication of the firefighters and Red Cross volunteers, and the power of human solidarity. 2areas have been evacuated, mainly villages close to the fire fronts, such as the Mastichochoria. Some tourists on the island have also been affected and relocated to safe locations, but the majority of evacuations concern permanent residents." It was reported yesterday that a Georgian woman has been accused of accidentally igniting one of several wildfires on Chios. She is due to appear in court today to face charges of unintentional arson. Greek fire brigade officials said the woman, employed as a housekeeper on Chios, had "confessed" to triggering the blaze when she negligently discarded a cigarette.
