Thousands have been forced to evacuate their homes in Greece and Turkey as wildfires, fanned by strong winds and searing heat, continue to spread. Temperatures across south-eastern Europe have exceeded 40°C for seven consecutive days, exacerbating the already dire situation.
In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the efforts to control the blazes as “a titanic battle,” pledging state support to those who have lost their properties. Eleven regions in Greece face a “very high risk” of fire, prompting the government to appeal for assistance from EU partners. While some fires, like the one in Kryoneri, north-east of Athens, have been brought under control, uncontained blazes persist around Messinia in the south-west Peloponnese and on the popular island of Kythera. Flare-ups have also been reported on the islands of Evia and Crete, leading to widespread evacuations.
The extreme weather has turned the terrain into tinder, with the National Observatory in Athens recording temperatures as high as 45.8°C in Messinia. By late Sunday, Czech firefighters and Italian water-bombers joined emergency teams in Greece, focusing their efforts on Kythera, where the destruction is described as “incalculable.” Houses, beehives, and olive trees have been decimated, and strong winds continue to hamper firefighting efforts. Villagers and tourists, including 139 people trapped on a beach, have been rescued by the coast guard. Meteorologists predict even stronger winds for Kythera and Crete in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Turkey has also been battling severe wildfires. A record temperature of 50.5°C was registered in Şirnak province. More than 1,700 people were forced to flee their homes as fires approached Bursa, the country’s fourth-largest city. An opposition parliamentarian described the scene as “an apocalypse.” Over 1,100 firefighters are working to contain the flames, with authorities reporting at least 76 blazes breaking out within a 24-hour period. Sadly, the death toll in Turkey has risen to 14, including a firefighter who died of a heart attack and ten rescue volunteers and forestry workers.
Neighboring Albania also reported dozens of fires over the weekend, with thousands evacuating homes in the southern town of Delvina.