Dangerous wildfires in northern Greece force evacuations while Spain's Tenerife blaze still rages
Greek officials reported that 65 forest fires occurred within the last 24 hours, forcing evacuations of at least 13 nearby towns.
Raging wildfire forces evacuations in northern Greece
Greek authorities evacuated at least five villages near the northeastern border with Turkey on Saturday, where a large summer wildfire was burning out of control.
LOUTROS, Greece – Multiple villages near the northeastern border of Turkey were evacuated by Greek authorities on Saturday due to a large summer wildfire that was burning out of control.
Greek officials reported that 65 forest fires occurred within the last 24 hours, but most were promptly addressed at their onset.
Deputy Fire Chief Ioannis Artophios with the National Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management in Marousi has confirmed the evacuation of 13 towns surrounding the city of Alexandroupolis.
Over 200 firefighters and volunteers are battling the fire on the ground and in the air in Alexandroupolis, Artophios said.
Footage posted by user @GearDread showed flames burning on a hillside in Loutros early Sunday morning.
(@GearDread via Storyful)
The forest fire erupted early Saturday near the village of Melia and was fueled by strong winds. Firefighters also battled the blaze on three fronts, evacuating Monastiraki, Doriskos, Amphitriti, Maistros, and Avantas settlements by noon Sunday, according to fire officials.
Footage posted by @GearDread on X, formerly known Twitter, showed flames burning on a hillside in Loutros early Sunday morning.
Artophios said the area is under an emergency fire alert due to very high temperatures and gale force winds up to 54 mph.
"We are faced with extreme phenomena, and we all need to adapt to this difficult situation," Artophios warned. "We strictly follow the instructions of the authorities and under no circumstances do we take actions that can cause a fire and can cost human lives."
Tenerife fire ‘most complex’ on Spain's Canary Islands
The wildfires in Greece are accompanied by alarming images and footage from Tenerife, where flames are ravaging a mountain forest near the northwestern coast of Africa and is part of Spain’s Canary Islands.
SPAIN'S DROUGHT-PLAGUED OLIVE OIL CROPS SEEN FROM SPACE
The island is facing "the most complex wildfire ever witnessed" in the Spanish archipelago, said Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo at a news conference after the fires broke out.
Information received from Hellenic Fire Service, the national agency of Greece for fire and rescue service, was translated via Google Translate.