Numerous forest fires have started in Greece due to the hot and windy weather that has affected much of the country. Residents and tourists are advised to avoid forested areas.
On the island of Serifos, a fire began in low vegetation on June 29 and quickly spread due to strong winds. At one point, the fire spread over 15 kilometers (9.3 miles). The fire damaged residential houses and warehouses, forcing the evacuation of residents from several villages.
On June 30, two major forest fires raged near the Greek capital, Athens, and authorities sent emergency messages to residents of at least eight areas around Athens, urging them to evacuate. Others were asked to stay indoors and close windows to protect themselves from the smoke. "Today is the most challenging day the fire brigade has faced this year in firefighting," said fire service spokesman Vasilis Vathrakogiannis.
As a result of the fire that broke out southeast of Athens, near the town of Keratea, at least four houses and several cars were burned. The fire approached the port of Lavrio, located about 37 miles southeast of Athens.
The second rapidly growing fire broke out north of Athens, near the suburb of Stamata. The fire quickly spread to the 3,600-foot Mount Penteli, located on the outskirts of Athens.
According to the fire service, 230 firefighters, 17 planes, and 12 helicopters participated in extinguishing both fires.
On July 1, firefighters were battling forest fires that broke out on the islands of Chios and Kos in the eastern Aegean Sea, injuring five people.
In the morning, evacuation orders were issued for residents of the Metochi area in western Chios, strongly urging them to go to the nearby beach. More than 140 firefighters, eight teams specializing in forest fires, as well as seven planes and three helicopters, were involved in fighting the fires.
Another fire broke out further south in the Aegean Sea, on the resort island of Kos. Hundreds of tourists and locals were forced to flee due to the rapid spread of the flames amid "apocalyptic" scenes. Some tourists had to take shelter in a football stadium and other facilities overnight after the fires and thick black smoke reached coastal areas, including the seaside village of Kardamena. More than 100 firefighters, including reinforcements sent from Athens, as well as six water-dropping planes and two helicopters, were fighting the fire.
Fires are breaking out en masse: on July 3, firefighters dealt with 62 fires within 24 hours, many of which were caused by lightning. Within just three hours, fires broke out in Sounion (Legraina), Vilia, Lavrio, Dionysos, Marathon, Epidaurus, Delphi, and Lesbos, requiring the assistance of aerial resources.
In recent years, as summers have become hotter, drier, and windier due to rapid climate change, fires in Greece have become more destructive. Following Greece's warmest winter on record and catastrophic forest fires last summer, the country has developed a new strategy that calls for forest clearing and the deployment of additional equipment to each forest fire. These measures are an attempt to adapt to the new reality; they can temporarily mitigate the consequences but cannot eliminate the main cause of the increasing disasters. It is now crucial to unite the world's best scientists to find a truly effective solution that will stop climate disasters and prevent the loss of life on our planet. You can find more information about this at the "Global Crisis. The Responsibility" forum.