Greek Firefighters Battle Wildfires Amid European Heatwaves
Greek firefighters engaged in intense efforts on Sunday to manage a substantial wildfire that has decimated over 100 homes northwest of Athens. Concurrently, a new blaze prompted evacuations on the tourist island of Kefalonia. This summer has been marked by widespread wildfires across Europe due to record-breaking heatwaves and scarce rainfall, conditions worsened by climate change.
While wildfires in France and Spain have shown signs of abating over the weekend, Greece faced several new outbreaks after a phase of relative quiet. Gale-force winds previously fueled the fire around Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, 40 miles northwest of Athens, although these have now subsided. However, flames traversed a mountain to the south, reaching the settlement of Veniza and a military firing range, causing unexploded ordnance to activate.
Nearly 500 Greek firefighters, along with equipment like vehicles, heavy machinery, and firefighting aircraft, are engaged, bolstered by support from France and Romania.
In Agios Konstantinos, locals endeavor to curb the fire’s spread. Tasos Tzempelikos, a 61-year-old resident, stated, “The fire has been burning since last night, and it’s clear they cannot deploy forces everywhere. We are doing our utmost.” Together with his son, he took action by pouring water on the flames.
Greek daily Protothema highlighted efforts to prevent the fire from Veniza reaching the coastal town of Megara. Over 38 square miles of land are believed to be scorched by the fire thus far. Additionally, in Kefalonia, several settlements were evacuated overnight due to a fire in the Pastra area.
In France, wildfires in Gironde and Var departments experienced minor flare-ups but did not expand overnight. Spain’s central fires affected tens of thousands of hectares recently, but firefighters largely have them under control, though occasional re-ignitions occur.
In Caceres province, a forest fire initiated on Saturday led to the evacuation of around 800 individuals. These residents returned on Sunday, although they remain confined due to active fires.
Beyond fire concerns, European nations grapple with drought and dwindling river levels, including the Rhine and Danube. The Danube hit its lowest-ever levels in Hungary, Serbia, and Romania, impacting various sectors.
Hungary faces a critical period as the dry Danube necessitated shutting the nation’s sole nuclear power plant for the first time in over four decades amid further heatwave forecasts. With declining water levels and no rainfall, shipping and tourism face disruptions while over 100 cities and villages implement water-use restrictions.
Serbia’s Danube levels reached their lowest since 1985, severely reducing daily output of its largest hydropower station to merely 20%, according to the energy minister.