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BBC News
an hour ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Chios: Wildfires rage on Greek island
A state of emergency has been declared on the Greek island of Chios where five separate wildfires are burning and being fanned by strong in 17 communities have been evacuated and an arson investigation has been launched into what caused the different fronts to start is such a short amount of forest fires broke out on Sunday in the areas of Kofinas, Agia Anna and Agios Makarios. A fourth blaze erupted shortly after midnight in Agios Markos, followed by a fifth front on Monday morning in blaze has already damaged homes, crops and infrastructure on the Aegean island, with local media reporting that several houses have been destroyed. There is a moderate high temperature warning on Chios, with highs of about 30C, but it is expected to get hotter toward the end of the 190 firefighters were operating on the island, supported by 11 aircraft and helicopters. An additional 90 firefighters are also due to arrive from Athens and Thessaloniki, authorities from the island show locals trying to help firefighters, throwing buckets of water on flames and using clothing to try to pat out smaller spot media reported extensive damage to a number of houses and at least one distillery, with some residents saying they had been unable to return to see if their property had been damaged. Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis travelled to Chios, and said after an emergency meeting that he is "troubled and concerned" about the outbreak of multiple fires in different parts of the island "without a clear explanation"."This is something that must be investigated thoroughly," he a team from the fire service's Arson Investigation Unit, working alongside local police officers, has launched an investigation into what caused the local power grid has been damaged by the fires, causing outages in the wider Vrontados area. Teams from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network (HEDNO) have been sent from the neighbouring island of Lesvos to carry out repairs. Some planned power cuts have also been introduced to support firefighting operations. Water supply issues and damage to infrastructure have also been is the first major wildfire this summer for Greece, which is no stranger to devastating fires and extreme Chios, an intense wildfire in 2012 wiped out more than half of the island's iconic mastic - a tree resin used in cooking and pharmaceuticals - disrupting the global supply of the so-called "tears of Chios".
Associated Press
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
More evacuation orders issued as firefighters battle major wildfire on the Greek island of Chios
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities sent new evacuation notifications for two areas near the main town of the eastern Aegean island of Chios Monday morning, as firefighters struggled to control a major wildfire raging on the town's outskirts for a second day. The fire department said 190 firefighters were battling the blaze Monday. They were backed up by 35 vehicles, five helicopters and two water-dropping planes. Strong winds in the area since Sunday have hampered firefighting efforts. Push alerts have been sent to mobile phones in the area urging people to evacuate a total of 16 villages, settlements and neighborhoods on the outskirts of Chios town since the blaze broke out on Sunday. The fire started in three separate locations. Authorities have sent a specialist fire department arson investigation team to the island to look into the causes. Wildfires are frequent in Greece during its hot, dry summers, but authorities have said climate change has been fueling bigger and more frequent blazes. In 2018, a massive fire swept through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping people in their homes and on roads as they tried to flee. More than 100 people died, including some who drowned trying to swim away from the flames.
