“Urgent Help Needed: Greece Continues to Battle Wildfires”
For the past twelve days, Greece has been dealing with devastating wildfires that are still not under control. The situation on the holiday island of Rhodes remains critical, with strong winds fueling the flames. Tragically, two pilots lost their lives when a firefighting aircraft crashed in Euboea. Similar wildfires are raging in other countries around the Mediterranean.
Southern Europe continues to fight against forest fires. On the Greek islands of Rhodes, Corfu, and Euboea, strong winds have intensified the wildfires. A new fire broke out near the village of Vati in the southeastern part of Rhodes, spreading rapidly towards the already-evacuated village of Gennada. Firefighters urgently called for assistance, as the entire southern part of the island is at risk of being completely engulfed in flames.
Amid the firefighting efforts on Euboea, a firefighting plane crashed, leading to the tragic death of two pilots aged 34 and 27. The Greek Air Force General Staff confirmed the incident. The Greek Ministry of Defense has announced three days of mourning for the armed forces, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis canceled his scheduled trip to the Republic of Cyprus. According to the fire department, the Greek Canadair aircraft crashed near the village of Platanisto.
State television released a video purportedly showing the crash: the plane can be seen releasing water, veering to the side, losing altitude, and hitting the ground with its right wing before flames and smoke engulf it.
The Greek Civil Protection Agency announced that the risk of fires is extremely high in almost all regions of Greece. Temperatures are expected to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius today. Wednesday is forecasted to remain hot before temperatures drop by up to five degrees on Thursday. “We are facing another challenging summer,” stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a cabinet meeting.
Firefighters from eleven European countries are supporting Greece in combating the wildfires. On Rhodes, over 260 firefighters have been battling the flames for eight consecutive days. Nine firefighting planes and four helicopters are in operation there. On Corfu, six planes and four helicopters are aiding in firefighting efforts, according to a spokesperson.
A wildfire on Corfu spiraled out of control, resulting in the evacuation of three villages near the small port town of Kassiopi. More than 60 rescue personnel are fighting the blaze in the northern part of the island. Close to the city of Karystos, on the second-largest Greek island, Euboea, over 90 firefighters are involved.
According to Greece’s Minister of Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, the fire department has been battling over 500 fires throughout the country for the past twelve days. Moreover, environmental organization WWF reported that 35,000 hectares of forest and vegetation were destroyed just last week.
Since the weekend, thousands of tourists and locals have been evacuated from the holiday islands of Rhodes and Corfu. On Saturday alone, around 19,000 tourists and residents were evacuated from hotels and villages in Rhodes. Many have already departed, while others are accommodated in emergency shelters such as gyms and schools.
Several other countries in Southern Europe and North Africa are also suffering from extreme heat and fires. In Algeria, at least 34 people have lost their lives in wildfires. Over a hundred firefighters successfully brought a forest fire under control on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which destroyed approximately 20 hectares of woodland in just one night.
Meanwhile, the firefighting efforts continue in Sicily, Italy, where multiple wildfires, including one near Palermo Airport, are being fought. The airport was temporarily closed for several hours.
In northern Italy, severe storms followed the heatwave, leading to the loss of at least two lives. In one incident, a 16-year-old girl tragically died when a tree fell on her tent at a scout camp near the city of Brescia. In Lissone, a woman was killed by a falling tree. Storm gusts, heavy rain, and hail caused flooding of streets and fallen trees, including in Milan.
Europe and North Africa
On the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, over a hundred firefighters managed to gain control over a raging forest fire that destroyed approximately 20 hectares of woodland in just one night. Meanwhile, in Sicily, Italy, firefighting efforts persist as multiple wildfires, including one dangerously close to Palermo Airport, pose a threat. The airport was forced to shut down for several hours. Furthermore, severe storms swept across northern Italy, causing the loss of at least two lives. High winds, heavy rainfall, and hail led to flooded streets and fallen trees in cities such as Milan.