Tourists evacuated by sea from Greek beaches as wildfires rage

Tourists on Greek beaches found themselves in a desperate scramble for safety as wildfires raged nearby, forcing a sea evacuation of nearly 500 people. Small boats and coast guard vessels ferried sunbathers away from the encroaching flames in the popular Halkidiki peninsula, south of Thessaloniki.

Over 200 firefighters, supported by planes and helicopters, fought for hours to contain the blaze, which was fanned by strong winds. The fires neared homes in the resort areas of Siviri and Fourka, packed with summer vacationers. The region's pine forests are highly flammable.

Civil protection authorities sent phone alerts for evacuations. "The evacuations had to take place by sea as the flames approached the beaches," a fire department spokesperson stated. Some tourists were taken to nearby beaches, while about 200 were transferred to a waiting ship offshore.

State broadcaster ERT reported a wall of flames, up to 30 meters high and three kilometers long, was advancing on the resorts. Greece faces severe wildfires annually, with experts linking the increasing risk to human-caused climate change, which exacerbates drought and extreme weather. Two people died earlier in August during firefighting efforts in Greece when a helicopter crashed.

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The evacuations had to take place by sea as the flames approached the beaches.