High Alert for Fresh Wildfires in Greece amidst Extreme Temperature
Several parts of Greece are on high alert as extreme temperatures and high winds threaten to spark more devastating wildfires.
Extreme fire risk warnings have been issued for several regions in southern Greece, including around Athens.
The capital has seen searing temperatures over summer – this week they will hover close to 40 Celsius.
Dozens of fires broke out at the weekend, prompting thousands of residents to be evacuated.
One of the worst fire fronts is near the port city of Alexandroupoli, close to the north-eastern border with turkey.
Greece’s fire service said in a statement that fires there have been burning for several days, and 13 communities near the city were evacuated “for the safety of the citizens.
There are also fires burning in the eastern Rhodope region and the northern city of Kavala.
France, Cyprus and Romania have sent reinforcements to help Greek firefighters.
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A spokesperson for the Greek fire service, Ioannis Artophios, said the country is faced with “extreme phenomena” and that everyone needed to “adapt to this difficult situation.”
Greece is one of several European countries currently at extreme risk of wildfires, according to the EU’s climate monitoring service, Copernicus.
Fire crews have been battling a blaze on the Spanish island of Tenerife for almost a week, but the authorities there believe the worst is now behind them.
The fire has burned through thousands of acres of land and forced the evacuation of more than 12,000 people, according to the regional government.
Parts of southern France, meanwhile, could experience record-breaking heat in the coming days. Temperatures of more than 40C are expected in places including the Rhone valley.
