Latest news with #Vathrakoyannis
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Brits tourists warned as wildfires spread through popular holiday destination
A wildfire burned through a suburb of Athens today and some residents were ordered to evacuate - photos show houses on fire, damaged buildings and firefighters at the scene British tourists visiting Greece have been put on alert as new wildfires are spreading through the country, which has been battling a 44C heatwave for the past week. Today, a wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country's Fire Service reported. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, which is located 20km (12.5 miles) northeast of Athens, received three SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis said. Photos taken in the area show houses on fire, damaged buildings and firefighters trying to contain the blazes. Mr Vathrakoyannis said "there have been reports of damages." He added: "We will take stock when the fires have been put out." "The real difficulties are ahead of us," Mr Vathrakoyannis said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters are attempting to put out the fire, whose origin is unknown. Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems. Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38C, dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames. On Saturday, highs of 44C were recorded. Under such conditions wildfires "expand very quickly and become dangerous," Mr Vathrakoyannis said, adding: "These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days." The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest on Greece's two largest islands- Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens - and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said. Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month. At the beginning of July, hotels and homes on the island of Crete were evacuated due to wildfires. It comes just days after wildfires spread across Cyprus, ravaging 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles) of forested hillsides, destroying several homes and leading to the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern side of the island nation's Troodos mountain range. The range covers about a third of Cyprus and is where dozens of small villages and resorts are located. Earlier this week, two bodies were discovered in burnt-out cars, police said. The island nation is on high alert for fires this summer following three consecutive dry winters.
5 days ago
- Climate
Wildfire burns through northern suburb of Greece's capital Athens and residents are told to evacuate
ATHENS, Greece -- A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Saturday and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country's Fire Service reported. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) northeast of Athens received three SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters. Greek media have shown houses on fire. The spokesman said 'there have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.' 'The real difficulties are ahead of us,' Vathrakoyannis said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters are attempting to put out the fire, whose origin is unknown. Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems. Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames. Under such conditions wildfires 'expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days,' Vathrakoyannis said. The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest on Greece's two largest islands — Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens — and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Wildfire burns through suburb of Greece's capital Athens as residents are told to evacuate
A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Saturday and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country's Fire Service reported. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 20 kilometres northeast of Athens received three SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters. Greek media have shown houses on fire. The spokesman said 'there have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.' 'The real difficulties are ahead of us,' Vathrakoyannis said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters are attempting to put out the fire, whose origin is unknown. Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems. Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames. Under such conditions wildfires 'expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days,' Vathrakoyannis said. The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest on Greece's two largest islands — Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens — and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said. Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Climate
- First Post
Massive wildfires engulf northern suburb of Athens as Greece reels through horrors of climate change
A massive wildfire burned through a northern suburb of Athens, Greece, on Saturday, prompting authorities to order an evacuation. read more Firefighting teams respond from the air and on the ground to a fire in Krioneri near Athens, Greece. AFP A massive wildfire burned through a northern suburb of Athens, Greece, on Saturday, prompting authorities to order an evacuation. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 12.5 miles (20km) north-east of Athens, received three SMS alerts to evacuate to safe areas, fire service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters, The Associated Press reported. Greek media have shown videos of houses on fire as the authorities struggle to control the blaze. 'There have been reports of damage. We will take stock when the fires have been put out," Vathrakoyannis said at the presser. 'The real difficulties are ahead of us,' he said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union's civil protection mechanism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to The Associated Press, around 145 firefighters, 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and 7 helicopters were being used to put out the fire, whose origin is still unknown. Meanwhile, four ambulances were treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems. High temperatures are making the fire uncontrollable Temperatures reaching or exceeding 38 °C, dry conditions, and high winds are fanning the flames. While speaking to the reporters, Vathrakoyannis said that under such conditions, wildfires 'expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days.' Apart from this, the Greek fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the south-west of Greece's two largest islands – Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens and also on the island of Kythera, north-west of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved in the operations across the country. Vathrakoyannis emphasised that in total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours. Destructive wildfires have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Many of them have broken out in the past month. Meanwhile, fire also hit across the south of France late on Saturday, spreading towards a beach resort and forcing the evacuation of two campgrounds and some local housing. Driven by strong winds, the fire in the Aude region on the Mediterranean coast near the Spanish border had already burned through 600 hectares (1,500 acres) after breaking out earlier in the afternoon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The fire comes less than a month after the Aude region was hit by a major blaze that swept through 2,100 hectares (5,200 acres) near Narbonne, mobilising 1,000 firefighters. With inputs from The Associated Press.
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Wildfire Burns through Northern Suburb of Greece's Capital Athens and Residents Are Told to Evacuate
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Saturday and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country's Fire Service reported. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) northeast of Athens received three SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters. Greek media have shown houses on fire. The spokesman said 'there have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.' 'The real difficulties are ahead of us,' Vathrakoyannis said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters are attempting to put out the fire, whose origin is unknown. Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems. Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames. Under such conditions wildfires 'expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days,' Vathrakoyannis said. The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest on Greece's two largest islands — Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens — and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said. Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month.
