Greece Wildfires Fanned by Strong Winds, Killing One
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Wildfires fanned by gale-force winds in Greece killed one person in the north-eastern region of Evros on Monday as the authorities warned most regions faced a high risk of new blazes.
A total of 64 wildfires erupted across Greece in the past 24 hours with the authorities ordering the evacuation of several communities in Evros, near the border with Turkey.
The body of a man was found in a rural area on Monday evening near the port city of Alexandroupolis in Evros, a local police official told Reuters.
“The body was burned from the fire, probably was a migrant,” the official added.
Many migrants from Syria and Asian countries are using the river border separating Greece from Turkey to enter the European Union.
More than 200 firefighters backed by 18 aircraft were battling a wildfire burning for the third day in the region.
''Τhe next 48 hours are extremely critical due to the extreme weather conditions,” fire brigade spokesman Ioannis Artopios said in a briefing.
Cyprus said it was sending two firefighting aircraft to help Greek firefighters.
Summer wildfires in Greece are common but have been made worse in recent years by unusually hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change.
More than 20,000 foreign tourists had to be evacuated from the holiday island of Rhodes in July as wildfires burned for a week, destroying hotels and resorts.
Firefighters in Spain also battled on Monday to stabilize a huge wildfire that has devastated forests on the island of Tenerife for six days.
In Greece’s northern seaside city of Kavala, two firefighters were injured on Monday while trying to contain a blaze threatening homes in the village of Dialekto, the fire brigade said.
A wildfire also broke out in the village of Psacha near Evia, where more evacuations were ordered. More than 90 firefighters and eight aircraft were battling the flames, assisted by French firefighting forces.
