Fire on Greek island of Paros forces evacuations during tourist season

A wildfire erupted on the Greek island of Paros on Tuesday, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of four areas as tens of thousands of tourists are currently visiting the island. The fire began near a waste landfill in the island's center and quickly spread south due to strong northerly winds, according to a fire department spokesperson.

Civil Protection officials mandated the precautionary evacuation of four zones in the southwest of Paros. While these areas do not contain villages, they include scattered homes, primarily inhabited by permanent residents. "We were on the beach and could see the smoke right in front of us, we saw the helicopter passing with water," recounted a young Spanish woman vacationing on the island.

The island is reportedly packed with tourists, and while the fire-affected zone is not far from some tourist areas, authorities state they are not currently under threat. Dozens of firefighters, supported by five trucks, nine planes, and five helicopters, are engaged in combating the blaze. Reinforcements are expected from nearby islands and Athens.

Greece is experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) in some regions and 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on several Aegean islands on Tuesday. While temperatures are expected to drop slightly from Wednesday, strong northerly winds are forecast to persist. Paros, with a population of around 14,000, hosted nearly a million tourists last year, mostly during the summer months.

“

We were on the beach and could see the smoke right in front of us, we saw the helicopter passing with water.