2 Dead, Hundreds Evacuated as Wildfires Engulf Greek Island
Two people died and hundreds were evacuated on Sunday as two fires broke out on the Greek island of Salamis near Athens, the fire department said. Local residents and bathers were among those evacuated, with hundreds of people hurriedly leaving the area as the fires broke out “almost simultaneously” in Peristeria and Selinia, two popular bathing areas in the island’s south and east.
The civil protection ministry issued four evacuation orders as the fires spread, with the fire service mobilising a large force of some 200 firefighters, nearly 50 engines, six aircraft, and seven helicopters. Greece‘s coastguard also dispatched five patrol boats to the area, and several private vessels, including ferries, were made available to assist in the evacuation efforts.
Thirty-four fires have broken out over the past 24 hours around Greece, according to the fire department, with five firefighters dying so far, including a Danish pilot killed in a mid-air collision between two Bell helicopters while battling a blaze near Athens earlier this month. The recent wildfires in Greece have been fueled by unusually strong winds, after the country largely escaped the heatwave temperatures that blanketed much of Europe earlier this summer.
The situation on Salamis island is being closely monitored, with local officials trying to keep the two fires from scaling a mountain and linking up. The fire department has warned of a difficult fire inside an inhabited area, with some roads remaining open and police forces guiding people to safety.
This latest incident follows a series of major wildfires in Greece since late July, with firefighters having largely contained a blaze on the Aegean island of Skyros earlier. The Greek authorities are working to bring the situation under control, with the fire service and coastguard working together to evacuate those in danger and contain the spread of the fires.
The recent wildfires in Greece are part of a larger pattern of extreme weather events affecting Europe, with several countries experiencing severe heatwaves and wildfires in recent weeks. The Greek government has declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfires, with the military and emergency services working together to respond to the crisis.
