A man uses a water hose during a wildfire in northern Athens. Photo:PA
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | AUGUST 5th 2021
There are currently over 100 blazes still burning through Greece, as the government have commenced evacuations at hundreds of villages and are continually struggling to get the flames under control.
Most recently, the Greek island of Evia had become yet another victim of the deadly fires, as over a dozen villages and a monastery had become surrounded by flames. Thus far, over 150 houses had already been destroyed by this island blaze.
Firefighters stated that it was a difficult blaze to take control over, largely due to the island’s natural structure of rolling hills that obscure visibility in some regards. Regardless, the flames had grown to be large and bright enough to even be seen from the sea. They stated that everybody from the villages had been successfully evacuated, aside from three monks from the Saint David Monastery who had refused to leave despite the danger.
“We’re waging a battle of the titans!” said Nikos Hardalias, the deputy minister for civil protection. “The hardest is still to come.”
Police spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP) and mentioned that if the lives of the monks become directly endangered, then they will force them to evacuate.
The fires come amidst the worst Greek heatwave in several decades, with even the forests around the country’s capital of Athens having been set ablaze. Thousands around the area have had to evacuate as firefighters largely recommend for people to stay indoors until they get the fires under control.
“The heatwave is more intense today than it was yesterday, the temperatures are high, the ground is dry and the wind is beginning to pick up again,” said Al Jazeera reporter Zein Basravi, on Wednesday, at the outskirts of the Greek capital. “We are seeing multiple fronts open up … and the fear now is that rekindling is going to get worse.”
These effects of extreme weather are being felt all across Europe at the moment, with wildfires having burned through Turkey recently, and a severe deluge having flooded the German Rhineland. Around Athens, temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius have been felt alongside the dry conditions – perfect for the spread of devastating fires.
