The fire broke on Evia island with forested mountains and canyons laced with crystalline water on August 3 and within days it became out of control.
For the past two weeks, Greece and Turkey are fighting devastating fires as the region suffered its worst heatwave in decades, sending temperatures soaring to 45 degrees Celsius with extremely dry conditions. Experts are blaming climate change for this condition. The blaze now is the most severe of dozens that broke out in Greece.
The fire broke on Evia, an island of forested mountains and canyons laced with small coves of crystalline water on August 3, and within days it became out of control. The severity of the fire can be understood by the fact that several homes and businesses have been destroyed leaving thousands of residents homeless and tourists fleeing to save their lives.
Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologised on Monday for failures in tackling the devastating wildfires that have burned across Greece for the past week as the country counted the cost in lost homes and livelihoods. The Greece government has approved a 500 million-euro package of aid for Evia and the Attica region around Athens.
The worst affected is Evia, Greece's second-biggest island located just off the mainland east of Athens. More than 500 fires have been burning across Greece, forcing the evacuation of dozens of villages and thousands of people. There is growing public anger due to the delays in tackling the menace and breakdowns in the government's response.
1. Greece wildfires reaches its seventh day
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The Greece wildfires burned unabated in many parts of the country for the seventh day. Strong winds on Monday fuelled flare-ups on Evia, the worst affected area, after appearing to ease earlier in the day. Water-bombing aircraft struggled to operate because of the large plumes of smoke blanketing the area, authorities said.
(Image Source: Reuters)
2. Worst heatwave in three decades
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The fires broke out last week. This is Greece's worst heatwave in three decades, with searing temperatures and dry heat worsening the situation. Temperatures had cooled somewhat during the weekend but were forecast to rise again during the week, leading to fears that this may further deteriorate the condition.
(Image Source: Reuters)
3. Blaze broke out on foothills of Mount Parthina
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In Athens, the officials have begun the assessment of the damage from the blaze. The wildfire tore through several suburbs north of Athens last week before beginning to recede on Saturday. The blaze broke out on the foothills of Mount Parthina on the outskirts of the capital. The wildfire has destroyed thousands of hectares of land, along with a number of houses and businesses.
(Image Source: Reuters)
4. European countries helping Greece to douse wildfire
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Almost 1,000 firefighters, nine aircraft, and 200 vehicles have been sent to Greece from other European countries to help with the wildfires. In addition, Greece said on Monday it was expecting two aircraft from Turkey and an additional plane from Russia.
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5. Thousands of residents and tourists evacuated
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More than 2,000 residents and tourists, including elderly residents, have been evacuated by ferry since last Tuesday.
(Image Source: Reuters)
6. EU mobilising biggest responses to tackle wildfires
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A number of countries have come to the rescue of Greece including France, Germany, and the UK. The European Union is mobilising one of its biggest responses to tackle the wildfires affecting Greece and a number of other European nations because of the heatwave.
(Image Source: Reuters)
7. Number of wildfires struck Greece
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In recent days, a number of wildfires have struck Greece. One blaze in the northern suburb of Athens is said to have subsided. Fires in the Peloponnese region are said to be stable and fires in the northern Athens suburb have subsided.
(Image Source: Reuters)
