Latest news with #YorgosTzarakis
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Climate
- New Straits Times
Deadly wildfires force mass evacuations in Greece and Turkiye
ATHENS: Officials on the southern Greek island of Crete evacuated thousands of people from wildfires, while two people died in neighbouring Turkiye as fires took hold in the western province of Izmir on Thursday. About 30 kilometres (19 miles) east of Athens, another fire broke out near the port of Rafina on Thursday afternoon, local officials said. Hot dry weather in Greece – not unusual for this time of year – has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years. Turkiye, although spared the recent heatwaves that gripped southern Europe, has battled the effects of a long-term drought likely brought on by climate change. On Crete, about 5,000 people were evacuated after a blaze that broke out on Wednesday evening, the president of the regional hotels' association told AFP on Thursday. Yorgos Tzarakis said that about 3,000 tourists and 2,000 residents had been moved, mostly overnight, as a precaution from areas close to the Crete resort town of Ierapetra, in the southeast. He said that most of the tourists had been evacuated to the north of the island. Vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told Greek broadcaster Mega that officials had ordered the evacuations because water bomber aeroplanes had not been able to reach the affected areas overnight. Strong winds on three active fronts helped the fire progress, said Androulakis, some reaching nine on the Beaufort scale. The inaccessible terrain in Crete, Greece's largest island, has also hampered the work of the firefighters there. In Turkiye, two wildfires broke out near Izmir, Turkiye's third-largest city. In each case, three villages were evacuated. "An elderly, bedridden patient could not be saved," said Salih Uzun, a lawmaker in Izmir for the opposition CHP party, of the blaze close to Odemis. A forest worker in the same area died as he battled the blazes, the country's agriculture minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on X. Izmir governor Suleyman Elban said the main problem had been wind speeds of up to 85 kilometres per hour (53 miles per hour) and their constant changes of direction. "So the intervention from both land and air is seriously challenging," he told reporters, adding that the flames had cut off the main highway from Izmir city. Firefighters backed by fire engines and firefighting aircraft were battling the flames, he added. Both fires in the province, as well as others over the weekend and since controlled, had been caused by power cables, he said. Meteorologist Ismail Kucuk, citing forestry ministry figures, told AFP that "90 per cent of forest fires" were due to man-made causes. Power cables in particular posed a risk if not properly maintained, he added. The fire near Athens had already burned five or six houses, one local mayor told ERT public television. Fire service spokesman Vassilios Vathrakoyannis said that around 170 firefighters, 17 firefighting planes, 48 fire engines and seven helicopters were fighting the blaze. Firefighters had evacuated 300 people and rescued 51, he added. But their task could be complicated by the higher temperatures and strong winds forecast in the Athens region in the coming days. The risk of fires was "considerable" in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece, said fire service spokesman Vathrakoyannis. The country recorded its hottest-ever summer in 2024, when 45,000 hectares (110,000 acres) of land burned, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory. In terms of surface area destroyed, 2023 was the worst on record. Nearly 175,000 hectares were obliterated and 20 people died during heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit).
Bangkok Post
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Bangkok Post
Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage
ATHENS - A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, officials said Thursday. An elderly man died in neighbouring Turkey, where wildfires forced the evacuation of six villages in the western province of Izmir. Some 30 kilometres (19 miles) east of Athens, another fire broke out near the port of Rafina on Thursday afternoon and had already burned five or six houses, one local mayor told ERT public television. Hot dry weather in Greece -- not unusual for this time of year -- has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years. Turkey, although spared the recent heatwaves that gripped southern Europe, has battled the effects of a long-term drought likely brought on by climate change. On Crete, about 5,000 people were evacuated after a blaze that broke out Wednesday evening, the president of the regional hotels' association told AFP. Yorgos Tzarakis said about 3,000 tourists and 2,000 residents had been moved, mostly overnight, as a precaution from areas close to the Crete resort town of Ierapetra. Vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told Greek broadcaster Mega officials had ordered the evacuations because water bomber planes could not reach the affected areas overnight. Those evacuated had been put up in hotels or gyms in Ierapetra, in the southeast, he added. Strong winds on three active fronts helped the fire to progress, said Androulakis. Fire service spokesman Vassilios Vathrakoyannis said around 170 firefighters, 17 firefighting planes, 48 fire engines and seven helicopters were fighting the blaze. Winds reached nine on the Beaufort scale, he added. - One dead in Turkey - In Turkey, two wildfires broke out near Izmir, Turkey's third city. In each case, three villages were evacuated. "An elderly, bedridden patient could not be saved," said Salih Uzun, a lawmaker in Izmir for the opposition CHP party, of the blaze close to Odemis. Izmir governor Suleyman Elban said the main problem had been wind speeds of up to 85 kilometres per hour (53 miles per hour) and their constant changes of direction. "So the intervention from both land and air is seriously challenging," he told reporters, adding that the flames had cut off the main highway from Izmir city. In both places, a total of "nine planes, 22 helicopters and 1,100 (fire trucks and other) vehicles are intensively fighting the fires". He said both fires in the province, as well as others over the weekend and since mastered, had been caused by power cables. Meteorologist Ismail Kucuk, citing forestry ministry figures, told AFP "90 percent of forest fires" were due to man-made causes. Power cables in particular posed a risk if not properly maintained, he added. - Uneven, arid terrain - The inaccessible terrain in Crete, Greece's largest island, has made it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze. The fire damaged houses and crops in fruit and vegetable greenhouses, media reports said. Like the rest of Crete, Ierapetra -- a seaside resort with a population of 23,000 -- takes in thousands of tourists in the summer. The risk of fires was "considerable" in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece, Vathrakoyannis said. The country recorded its hottest-ever summer in 2024, when 45,000 hectares (110,000 acres) of land burned, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory. In terms of surface area destroyed, 2023 was the worst on record. Nearly 175,000 hectares were obliterated and 20 people died during heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more frequent and more intense wildfires and other natural disasters, and have warned Turkey to take measures to tackle the problem.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Crete wildfire forces 5,000 to evacuate as Europe heatwave continues
A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people on the Greek island of Crete, authorities and hotel association officials have said, as large swathes of continental Europe baked in a punishing early summer heatwave linked to at least nine deaths. About 230 firefighters, along with 46 fire service vehicles and helicopters, were battling the blaze on Thursday after it broke out 24 hours earlier near Ierapetra, on the south-east coast of the island – the country's largest – threatening to engulf houses and hotels. A fire brigade spokesperson, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, said: 'There are wind gusts in the area, some measuring nine on the Beaufort scale, triggering rekindling and hindering firefighting efforts.' He added that four settlements had been evacuated. The president of the regional hotels' association, Yorgos Tzarakis, said about 3,000 tourists and 2,000 residents had been moved, mostly overnight, as a precaution. A small number of people fled into the sea and were rescued by local fishermen and divers. Residents and tourists were taking shelter at an indoor stadium and some had left Crete by boat, authorities said. Local media reported some homes had been damaged. An estimated 5,000 more holidaymakers left south-east Crete independently. Ierapetra's mayor, Manolis Frangoulis, said firefighters were working to prevent flare-ups during a lull in high winds. 'Thankfully no one was hurt but it's a difficult situation,' he said. Like the rest of Crete, Ierapetra – a seaside resort with a permanent population of 23,000 – accommodates thousands of tourists in the summer. The island's arid, uneven landscape, criss-crossed by gullies, makes it hard for firefighters to tackle blazes. A separate fire was raging in the Halkidiki region of Greece, with 160 firefighters and 49 vehicles involved in the emergency response. In Turkey, thousands of people fled blazes in Cesme and Ödemiş in the western coastal province of İzmir. An elderly man died in the blaze near Ödemis, about 60 miles east of the city of İzmir, in one of three villages evacuated in the area. 'The village was evacuated but an elderly, bedridden patient could not be saved,' a local MP told Turkish TV. Vathrakogiannis said the risk of destructive wildfires remained 'very considerable' in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece, although the country had largely escaped the heatwave still gripping other parts of southern and central Europe. Nearly 500 firefighters were battling wildfires in eastern Germany that severely injured two emergency workers and forced the evacuation of more than 100 people near Gohrischheide, on the border between the states of Saxony and Brandenburg. The blazes had burned through hundreds of hectares of heathland and were still not under control on Thursday, with firefighters unable to tackle outbreaks on a former military training area with unexploded ammunition. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion The worst of the weather appeared to be over in France, with the south-east the last area expected to record temperatures of up to 36C, but parts of Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Spain were all forecast to hit the mid-30s on Thursday. Italian authorities issued red alerts – meaning that the heat is so intense it poses a risk not just to the sick and elderly but the young and fit too – for 18 cities, including Bologna, Genoa, Milan, Palermo, Rome and Turin. Officials in Rome said temporary blackouts were possible as power consumption by air-conditioners surged. At least five people have died in the heatwave in Italy, including two, aged 75 and 60, on beaches in Sardinia. Temperatures on the island, where wildfires have been raging, have exceeded 40C in recent days. In Genoa, an 85-year-old man died of heart failure in hospital. A 47-year-old construction worker died near Bologna and a 53-year-old woman died in Palermo. A measure halting outdoor work, for example, on construction sites and farms, during the hottest part of the day has taken effect nationwide, although it is not an obligation and many people are continuing to work their normal hours. In Spain, the media reported that the two victims of a wildfire that consumed more than 5,500 hectares of mostly agricultural land in Torrefeta i Florejacs in Lleida province were aged 32 and 45, and had died of smoke inhalation. Temperatures in central Albania reached 40C on Thursday, and with little rain expected until September fears are rising for local agricultural output. Serbia's state meteorological institute also warned 'extreme drought' was affecting crops. Scientists have said Europe's heatwaves have arrived earlier than usual this year, with temperatures surging by up to 10C in some regions as warming seas encourage the formation of a 'heat dome' over much of the land mass, trapping hot air.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage
Officials on the southern Greek island of Crete evacuated thousands of people from wildfires, while two people died in neighbouring Turkey as fires took hold in the western province of Izmir on Thursday. About 30 kilometres (19 miles) east of Athens, another fire broke out near the port of Rafina on Thursday afternoon, local officials said. Hot dry weather in Greece -- not unusual for this time of year -- has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years. Turkey, although spared the recent heatwaves that gripped southern Europe, has battled the effects of a long-term drought likely brought on by climate change. On Crete, about 5,000 people were evacuated after a blaze that broke out on Wednesday evening, the president of the regional hotels' association told AFP on Thursday. Yorgos Tzarakis said that about 3,000 tourists and 2,000 residents had been moved, mostly overnight, as a precaution from areas close to the Crete resort town of Ierapetra, in the southeast. He said that most of the tourists had been evacuated to the north of the island. Vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told Greek broadcaster Mega that officials had ordered the evacuations because water bomber aeroplanes had not been able to reach the affected areas overnight. Strong winds on three active fronts helped the fire progress, said Androulakis, some reaching nine on the Beaufort scale. The inaccessible terrain in Crete, Greece's largest island, has also hampered the work of the firefighters there. - Two dead in Turkey - In Turkey, two wildfires broke out near Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city. In each case, three villages were evacuated. "An elderly, bedridden patient could not be saved," said Salih Uzun, a lawmaker in Izmir for the opposition CHP party, of the blaze close to Odemis. A forest worker in the same area died as he battled the blazes, the country's agriculture minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on X. Izmir governor Suleyman Elban said the main problem had been wind speeds of up to 85 kilometres per hour (53 miles per hour) and their constant changes of direction. "So the intervention from both land and air is seriously challenging," he told reporters, adding that the flames had cut off the main highway from Izmir city. Firefighters backed by fire engines and firefighting aircraft were battling the flames, he added. Both fires in the province, as well as others over the weekend and since controlled, had been caused by power cables, he said. Meteorologist Ismail Kucuk, citing forestry ministry figures, told AFP that "90 percent of forest fires" were due to man-made causes. Power cables in particular posed a risk if not properly maintained, he added. The fire near Athens had already burned five or six houses, one local mayor told ERT public television. Fire service spokesman Vassilios Vathrakoyannis said that around 170 firefighters, 17 firefighting planes, 48 fire engines and seven helicopters were fighting the blaze. Firefighters had evacuated 300 people and rescued 51, he added. But their task could be complicated by the higher temperatures and strong winds forecast in the Athens region in the coming days. - High fire risk in July - The risk of fires was "considerable" in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece, said fire service spokesman Vathrakoyannis. The country recorded its hottest-ever summer in 2024, when 45,000 hectares (110,000 acres) of land burned, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory. In terms of surface area destroyed, 2023 was the worst on record. Nearly 175,000 hectares were obliterated and 20 people died during heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more frequent and more intense wildfires and other natural disasters, and have warned Turkey to take measures to tackle the problem. hec-yap/jj/bc
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage
A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, officials said Thursday. An elderly man died in neighbouring Turkey, where wildfires forced the evacuation of six villages in the western province of Izmir. Some 30 kilometres (19 miles) east of Athens, another fire broke out near the port of Rafina on Thursday afternoon and had already burned five or six houses, one local mayor told ERT public television. Hot dry weather in Greece -- not unusual for this time of year -- has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years. Turkey, although spared the recent heatwaves that gripped southern Europe, has battled the effects of a long-term drought likely brought on by climate change. On Crete, about 5,000 people were evacuated after a blaze that broke out Wednesday evening, the president of the regional hotels' association told AFP. Yorgos Tzarakis said about 3,000 tourists and 2,000 residents had been moved, mostly overnight, as a precaution from areas close to the Crete resort town of Ierapetra. Vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told Greek broadcaster Mega officials had ordered the evacuations because water bomber planes could not reach the affected areas overnight. Those evacuated had been put up in hotels or gyms in Ierapetra, in the southeast, he added. Strong winds on three active fronts helped the fire to progress, said Androulakis. Fire service spokesman Vassilios Vathrakoyannis said around 170 firefighters, 17 firefighting planes, 48 fire engines and seven helicopters were fighting the blaze. Winds reached nine on the Beaufort scale, he added. - One dead in Turkey - In Turkey, two wildfires broke out near Izmir, Turkey's third city. In each case, three villages were evacuated. "An elderly, bedridden patient could not be saved," said Salih Uzun, a lawmaker in Izmir for the opposition CHP party, of the blaze close to Odemis. Izmir governor Suleyman Elban said the main problem had been wind speeds of up to 85 kilometres per hour (53 miles per hour) and their constant changes of direction. "So the intervention from both land and air is seriously challenging," he told reporters, adding that the flames had cut off the main highway from Izmir city. In both places, a total of "nine planes, 22 helicopters and 1,100 (fire trucks and other) vehicles are intensively fighting the fires". He said both fires in the province, as well as others over the weekend and since mastered, had been caused by power cables. Meteorologist Ismail Kucuk, citing forestry ministry figures, told AFP "90 percent of forest fires" were due to man-made causes. Power cables in particular posed a risk if not properly maintained, he added. - Uneven, arid terrain - The inaccessible terrain in Crete, Greece's largest island, has made it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze. The fire damaged houses and crops in fruit and vegetable greenhouses, media reports said. Like the rest of Crete, Ierapetra -- a seaside resort with a population of 23,000 -- takes in thousands of tourists in the summer. The risk of fires was "considerable" in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece, Vathrakoyannis said. The country recorded its hottest-ever summer in 2024, when 45,000 hectares (110,000 acres) of land burned, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory. In terms of surface area destroyed, 2023 was the worst on record. Nearly 175,000 hectares were obliterated and 20 people died during heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more frequent and more intense wildfires and other natural disasters, and have warned Turkey to take measures to tackle the problem. hec-yap/jj/gv
