Fires in Greece’s Crete and near Athens extinguished; two dead in Turkiye
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Firefighters race to contain wildfires in Greece as thousands evacuated
Firefighters battle blazes near Athens and on the island of Crete. More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and residents evacuated from Ierapetra area. In western Turkey, a forestry worker was killed while trying to contain the fire. Hundreds of firefighters deployed to battle a wildfire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, west of Odemis, authorities say.”Thankfully no one was hurt but it’s a difficult situation,” Crete’s mayor says of the situation on his island. “As a Mediterranean country, Turkey is highly vulnerable to climate change,” lawyer says.
toggle caption STR/AP/INTIME NEWS
ATHENS, Greece — Firefighters battled blazes Thursday near Athens and on the island of Crete, where thousands were forced to flee holiday resorts, while blazes in neighboring Turkey claimed at least two lives.
More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and residents were evacuated from the Ierapetra area along Crete’s southern coast, authorities and hotel association officials said. A small number of people fled into the sea and were rescued by local fishermen and divers.
Ierapetra Mayor Manolis Frangoulis said firefighters working to prevent flare-ups and take advantage of a lull in high winds. “Thankfully no one was hurt but it’s a difficult situation,” he said.
Displaced tourists were relocated to other hotels or spent the night in an indoor basketball stadium. Several homes and businesses were damaged. Volunteers found dead farm animals, some burned alive while chained inside sheds. Separately, a wildfire near the port of Rafina, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of Athens disrupted local ferry services to the islands. Police went door-to-door to assist elderly residents while carrying out an evacuation order. In western Turkey, a local forestry worker was killed while trying to contain the fire near the town of Odemis, and an 81-year-old resident died from smoke inhalation, authorities said. It marked the first fatalities in a series of wildfires that have forced thousands to flee.
Sponsor Message
Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to battle a wildfire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a popular vacation destination about 190 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis.
That fire, which began Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and led to road closures. Television footage showed flames racing through dry vegetation on both sides of a highway.
Over the past week, Turkey has battled hundreds of wildfires fueled by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity. Now mostly under control, the blazes have damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.
Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
Late Wednesday, Turkey’s parliament adopted a landmark climate law targeting net-zero emissions by 2053. The legislation includes measures to establish a carbon market board to oversee efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The law comes at a time when Turkey is increasingly grappling with issues related to climate change, from searing heatwaves to prolonged droughts, experts say.
“As a Mediterranean country, Turkey is highly vulnerable to climate change,” said Gizem Koc, a lawyer with the U.K.-based environmental advocacy group ClientEarth. “The most striking vulnerability is the drought and water stress in some regions, but also there is increasing frequency of floods and other extreme weather events.”
Fires in Greece’s Crete and near Athens extinguished; two dead in Turkiye
230 firefighters and six helicopters worked at the scene near the resort town of Ierapetra. Two local MPs told Al Jazeera efforts were under way for the return of the people who were evacuated after the blaze broke out. A fire fanned by strong winds that erupted near the port town of Rafina, about 30km (18 miles) east of the capital, Athens, was brought under control on Thursday evening. In neighbouring Turkiye, a forestry worker was killed while trying to contain a fire near the western town of Odemis, while an 81-year-old resident died from smoke inhalation.
Some 230 firefighters and six helicopters worked at the scene near the resort town of Ierapetra, where residents had to leave their homes and visitors their accommodation on Wednesday evening.
Reporting from the nearby village of Agia Fotia, Al Jazeera’s John Psaropoulos said there was “no active fire front” by Friday morning. Still, he added, helicopters were operating in the area to ensure there were no flare-ups.
The fire left forest trees and some olive trees burned but caused no casualties. Two local MPs told Al Jazeera efforts were under way for the return of the people who were evacuated after the blaze broke out.
Elsewhere in mainland Greece, a fire fanned by strong winds that erupted near the port town of Rafina, about 30km (18 miles) east of the capital, Athens, was brought under control on Thursday evening, authorities said.
However, firefighting crews remained on alert as winds remained strong.
The fire, which led to the evacuation of 300 people, destroyed a few houses and vehicles, local mayor Dimitris Markou told public broadcaster ERT.
It also disrupted ferries to and from tourist islands in the western Aegean Sea.
Greece has so far been spared the heatwave roasting parts of Europe, particularly Spain, Portugal and France. But starting this weekend, temperatures will rise and reach up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas of the country.
Firefighters spray water to douse a burning house in Pikermi [Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP]
Two dead in Turkiye
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Turkiye, a local forestry worker was killed while trying to contain a fire near the western town of Odemis, while an 81-year-old resident died from smoke inhalation, authorities said.
These were the first deaths in a series of wildfires that have forced thousands of people to flee.
Separately, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to battle a wildfire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a popular vacation destination about 190km (120 miles) west of Odemis.
That fire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighbourhoods and led to road closures. Television footage showed flames racing through dry vegetation on both sides of a highway.
Over the past week, Turkiye has battled hundreds of wildfires fuelled by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity.
The blazes have damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.
Hot dry weather is not unusual for Greece and Turkiye at this time of year. Devastating summer wildfires are common in both countries, with experts warning that climate change is intensifying conditions.