Greece, hit by a heat wave, fights forest fires

On the island of Lesbos, the fire which broke out on Saturday, causing the evacuation of hundreds of tourists and residents of the seaside resort of Vatera, continued to rage according to firefighters.

Greece, hit by a heat wave, fights forest fires

On the island of Lesbos, the fire which broke out on Saturday, causing the evacuation of hundreds of tourists and residents of the seaside resort of Vatera, continued to rage according to firefighters.

Sunday morning dozens of firefighters were fighting the flames using four water bombers and two helicopters.

At least four homes were destroyed, according to the state channel ERT.

Since Saturday, Greece has been affected by a heat wave expected to last ten days and temperatures of 42°C are expected in some regions, raising fears of other fires.

In the north of the country, firefighters, assisted by volunteers, continue to fight for the fourth consecutive day against a violent fire in the Dadia National Park, the largest Natura 2000 site in Greece, known for its colony of vultures.

The fire, unusually difficult according to fire department spokesman Yiannis Artopoios, forced authorities to evacuate the village of Dadia on Saturday evening. It has already destroyed nearly 500 hectares of forest.

The fire reached the raptor observatory and was approaching the buildings of a protected area management unit.

"The most important thing for us is the safety of the villagers and all forces will be deployed there," Evros Governor Dimitris Petrovits told Athens News Agency.

Caring for injured animals is a top priority for authorities, he added Petrovits.

In the Peloponnese, the village of Chrysokelaria had to be evacuated on Saturday evening due to a fire near Koroni.

Around noon on Sunday, the fire was contained by firefighters.

On Wednesday, a forest fire in mountains near Athens had damaged homes and forced several hundred people to leave, a few kilometers from the coastal village of Mati, scene in 2018 of the worst disaster caused by a forest fire in Greece , which killed 102 people.

The proliferation of extreme weather events is a direct consequence of global warming according to scientists, with greenhouse gas emissions increasing in intensity, duration and frequency.

Last year, a heat wave and forest fires destroyed 103,000 hectares and killed three people in Greece.