Wildfires burn through the night in Eastern Europe as over 50 blazes in Greece alone sees families evacuated from their homes

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Wildfires are burning through the night in Eastern Europe with more than 50 blazes in Greece alone forcing families to be evacuated from their homes.
Chaos broke out across the country on Sunday as temperatures soared to 44C which, paired with dry conditions and strong winds, has been causing fires across the continent.
Two houses became engulfed in flames in Drosopigi, a village near Athens, forcing residents to flee their homes.
At least five locals were rushed to hospital to be treated for their burns and smoke inhalation following the terrifying blaze.
More than 200 firefighters, helped out by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters, were still tackling the fire on Sunday morning.
A total of five major blazes broke out across Greece on a sweltering day which saw authorities issue a fresh emergency alert urging locals in Pissona, on the island of Evia, to evacuate.
Officials there confirmed that a second fire had got 'out of control', The Times reports, and was heading towards the town of Afrati at speed.
The blaze caused a number of villages, including Pournos and Mistros, to have their electricity supply cut off thanks to ruined power lines and pylons.
Six firefighters had to be rushed to hospital while 115 stayed on to tackle the blaze.
Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesman for the fire brigade, said: 'Today is expected to be a difficult day with a very high risk of fire, almost throughout the territory.'
He added that at least 52 new blazes had popped up in the preceding 24 hours, but insisted that the situation was getting better in some places.
Crews continued to tackle fires on the islands of Crete and Kythira, as well as the Messinia region of the Peloponnese.
In Chania, Crete, a huge fire caused damage to homes and a church.
Meanwhile, teams on the tourist hotspot of Kythira attempted to extinguish a blaze which was said to have extended across half of the island, according to deputy mayor Giorgos Komninos.
He added that homes, as well as natural habitats, had been destroyed.
Near Athens's northern edge, a series of blazes had to be contained in the greater Attica region, with teams putting a stop to them by the end of the day.
Amid the destruction, Greece has been forced into asking for emergency help via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, in the form of six firefighting planes.
In the meantime, support crews from Italy and the Czech Republic were expected to land in the country late on Sunday.
Several regions remain under further fire threats, including the Ionian Islands, western Greece, the Peloponnese, central Greece, Attica, Epirus, western Macedonia (Florina, Kastoria, Kozani), eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Evros), Thessaly (Magnesia, Larisa, Trikala), the south Aegean (Rhodes) and Crete, officials confirmed.
'Apocalyptic' wildfires have been engulfing Southern Europe all weekend, with several holiday hotspots threatened by the blazes and residents forced to flee their homes.
Fourteen people have been killed by the wild infernos in Turkey sparked by a record 50C heatwave, while blazes have also struck Montenegro and Albania.
Smoke rose from charred tree branches near Montenegro's capital Podgorica on Sunday while huge flames could be seen dangerously close to city tower blocks.
Meanwhile, fire tore through landscapes near Bulqiza, Albania, this weekend as emergency services desperately tried to tame the blaze.
Twenty-six fires broke out throughout the country on Saturday, following a serious blaze near the southern Albanian town of Delvina on Friday, injuring three people and forcing the evacuation of around 2,000 locals.
Overnight, flames obliterated the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey, shining a threatening red glow on the sky.
It marked the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer - as Cyprus also fell victim to aggressive wildfires amid unusually hot weather.
The governor's office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as around 2,000 firefighters battled the flames.
The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed off as surrounding forests burned.
Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, likened the scene to 'an apocalypse'.
Turkey has been hit by dozens of wildfires every day since late June - with Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli revealing fire crews across the country approached 76 separate blazes on Saturday alone.
The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature - 50.5C (122.9F) - within the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday.
The same day, homes and holiday properties burnt down in popular holiday hotspot Cyprus.
A wide angle view shows smoke and flames rising as firefighting efforts continue after a forest fire, which was largely brought under control in the morning, reignites due to strong winds
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice in response to the devastation on the island.
Warning of 'active wildfires', the government highlighted the Paphos and Limassol districts as some of the affected areas, located in the south of Cyprus.
It added: 'Transport and infrastructure (electricity, water) links in locations close to the fires may be affected whilst the authorities respond to the situation.'
Though the FCDO noted the airports in Paphos and Larnaca are 'operating as normal'.
'If you are due to travel to an area that might be affected by wildfires, contact your travel operator or accommodation provider before you travel to check that it is not currently impacted. Make sure you have appropriate insurance,' the advice read.
The Foreign Office also included recommendations for those in the area or affected by the wildfires.
'Be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires. You should follow the guidance of the emergency services,' it stated.
'Call the Cypriot Emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger.
A firefighting helicopter operates in a burned area after a wildfire in the area of Kryoneri, in the suburbs of Athens, Greece, on Sunday
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a wildfire as smoke and flames rise from a forested area in the Gursu district of Bursa early on Sunday
The fires are being ignited by unusually high temperatures, alongside dry conditions and strong winds
Smoke and flames rise from a forested area during the latest major wildfire in Turkey
'Contact your airline or travel operator, who can assist you with information relating travel back to the UK.'
And on Saturday, British tourists were put on alert as Greece wildfires spread amid a 44C heatwave - as a blaze tore through the capital of Athens.
The southern European country was first hit with the scorching temperatures on Monday and they have not relented throughout the week.
After the mercury hit a blistering 44C high in Athens on Tuesday, a wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the capital on Friday.
Shocking pictures showed homes ablaze while residents of the town of Kryoneri, 12.5miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS warnings to evacuate.