
Video: Massive wildfires break out in Spain
Videos posted on social media show flames and towering plumes of smoke in the Catalonia region of Northeastern Spain. Firefighters say the fires spread rapidly due to a heatwave coupled with strong winds.
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Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Wildfires force more evacuations in Turkiye and Greece
Wildfires force more evacuations in Turkiye and Greece NewsFeed A week-long heatwave has helped to fuel wildfires in Turkiye and Greece, where thousands of people have had to flee the flames. Video Duration 01 minutes 43 seconds 01:43 Video Duration 01 minutes 36 seconds 01:36 Video Duration 01 minutes 59 seconds 01:59 Video Duration 02 minutes 53 seconds 02:53 Video Duration 02 minutes 25 seconds 02:25 Video Duration 03 minutes 08 seconds 03:08 Video Duration 00 minutes 24 seconds 00:24


Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Fires in Greece's Crete and near Athens extinguished; two dead in Turkiye
A wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that forced the evacuation of 5,000 people has been extinguished, officials say. 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. 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.


Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Wildfire on Greek island of Crete forces evacuation of 1,500
A wildfire on the Greek island of Crete has led to the evacuation of more than 1,500 people, local media outlets have reported, as an early summer heatwave continues to grip southern Europe. At least 230 firefighters, some dispatched from Athens, were attempting on Thursday to contain the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday evening near Ierapetra, a town on the island's southeastern coast. Elsewhere, a wildfire killed at least two people in the northeast Spanish region of Catalonia, and heat-related deaths have also been recorded in France and Italy this week. Spread by gale-force winds, the blaze on Crete reached houses and hotels, according to local authorities, who said dozens of residents and tourists had been evacuated to an indoor stadium in Ierapetra. 'Three settlements were evacuated and more than 1,000 left their homes. Some were taken to health centres with respiratory problems,' George Tsapakos, Crete's deputy civil protection governor, told public broadcaster ERT. Meanwhile, Vice-Prefect Yannis Androulakis confirmed that the blaze, which currently has 'three active fronts', had spread quickly because of strong winds. 'There are still a number of different fronts. The fire is burning scrubland and crops,' he said. 'The winds are very strong – up to nine on the Beaufort scale.' In an interview with the TV channel Mega, Androulakis added that water bomber planes were unable to reach the affected areas overnight. Drones and 10 helicopters were also being used to fight the fire, according to a spokesperson for the Greek fire service. In its daily bulletin on Thursday, the fire service warned that the risk of wildfires in Crete and southern Greece remained very high. Last year, Greece experienced its warmest summer ever, with 45,000 hectares (111,200 acres) torched by wildfires, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory. Even more land was damaged in 2023, when almost 175,000 hectares (432,400 acres) were affected by wildfires as temperatures hit 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit).