Greece is grappling with significant wildfires across the nation amidst a severe heatwave, although firefighters have reported progress in controlling many outbreaks.
The extreme heat persisted, with temperatures peaking at 42.4C (108.32F) in central Greece on Sunday.
Firefighters were actively combating five major fire fronts late on Sunday in the Peloponnese region west of Athens, as well as on the islands of Evia, Kythira, and Crete.
Fire brigade spokesman Vasilios Vathrakoyannis stated early on Sunday that the situation had improved following an “all night battle”.
Concurrently, neighboring Turkey has registered its highest temperature on record as fires continue to spread across several regions.
Turkey’s Forestry Minister, Ibrahim Yumakli, commented on Sunday that areas impacted by the fires were “going through risky times” and anticipated that complete containment could take several days.
On Saturday, Turkey’s environment ministry reported that meteorologists had recorded a temperature of 50.5C in the southeastern city of Silopi, surpassing the previous record of 49.5C.
Firefighters have been engaged in a four-day effort to contain a fire in the northern Karabuk province, according to AFP news agency reports on Sunday. Previously, on Wednesday, 10 individuals lost their lives fighting a fire in Eskisehir, a province located in the northwest, the report added.
Certain local authorities have announced restrictions on water consumption, including in the resort town of Cesme on Turkey’s west coast.
In Greece, strong winds continued to exacerbate the fires on Sunday. The country has formally requested assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, seeking six firefighting aircraft.
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis previously stated: “We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed.”
In Kythira, a fire rapidly expanded after igniting on Saturday morning in the village of Pitsinades. Preliminary estimates suggest that approximately 20% of the island has been affected by the blaze.
New evacuation alerts were issued on Sunday, instructing residents of several villages to evacuate.
By dawn, firefighters were actively addressing flare-ups, supported by helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft.
On the island of Evia, officials reported that a fire near Pissona had become “out of control” on Saturday. Six firefighters were hospitalized with burns and smoke inhalation, while several villages experienced power outages.
In Messinia, a third wildfire erupted in the Polithea area of Trifylia on Saturday morning and intensified later in the day. Authorities reported significant damage to homes and agricultural land.
On Sunday, Vathrakoyannis stated that 67 firefighters were attending the Kythira fire and 100 were in Messinia, where an active fire front remained.
In Attica, the region encompassing Athens, a fire that originated in Afidnes on Saturday quickly spread through Drosopigi, Kryoneri, and Agios Stefanos, prompting residents to evacuate.
While the fire service indicates that the main front has been contained, scattered hotspots continue to burn.
Meanwhile, in Crete’s Chania region, firefighters were battling a 20km wildfire front that swept through forest land, beehives, crops, and livestock.
Strong southwesterly winds were complicating efforts to contain flare-ups, while several villages remained without electricity.
Last month, fires on Greece’s fifth-largest island, Chios, located in the northern Aegean, resulted in the destruction of 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of land.
Earlier in July, a wildfire on the island of Crete necessitated the evacuation of 5,000 tourists.
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