Greece battles high wildfire alert as fires rage across country

Wildfires continue to scorch large parts of Greece, prompting authorities to issue the highest alert level for the Athens region. The most critical situation unfolded northwest of the capital, where flames advanced several kilometers, forcing the evacuation of hundreds by boat. Another major fire ignited west of Athens, leading to the precautionary evacuation of the Dasos suburb as thick smoke and flames threatened populated areas.

“

hundreds of people were evacuated by boat to safer places.

Fires also raged on the Peloponnese peninsula. Firefighters were battling blazes in 73 locations as of Friday evening. Meanwhile, on the island of Crete, the situation saw some improvement, but strengthening winds threatened to reignite fires and hampered aerial firefighting efforts.

“

stronger winds threatened to intensify the flames again and significantly hampered aerial firefighting.

Across Europe, France is also grappling with significant wildfires. In the Var department, between Marseille and Cannes, a fire that reignited on Friday spread rapidly, forcing the evacuation of approximately 2,500 people. An estimated 1,000 hectares burned within hours. Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to combat the blaze. Both France and neighboring Spain are struggling to contain a series of large wildfires fueled by high temperatures and dry vegetation, conditions scientists say are intensified and becoming more frequent due to climate change. Turkey is also contending with major fires.

“

thousands of people were forced to evacuate