Greek Villages Evacuated as Wildfire Threatens Turkey Border
Greek authorities have ordered the evacuation of seven villages near the northeastern border with Turkey as a large wildfire continues to burn out of control. Fueled by high winds, the blaze has prompted the deployment of over 100 firefighters, supported by nine water-dropping aircraft, who are struggling to contain the inferno. The forest fire originated near the village of Melia, east of Alexandroupolis, early on Saturday.
The evacuation orders were issued as a precautionary measure, and thankfully, no injuries or damage to buildings have been reported so far. In response to heavy smoke drifting across the area, authorities also closed a section of a major highway.
This is not the only wildfire plaguing Greece at the moment. Another smaller fire is burning outside Thessaloniki, the country’s second-largest city, in the north. However, firefighters have successfully brought a blaze under control on the western island of Cephalonia.
With a high wildfire alert in effect for the weekend, Greek authorities are remaining vigilant to swiftly respond to any further outbreaks. Unfortunately, this comes after deadly wildfires wreaked havoc in central Greece last month, leading to the evacuation of approximately 20,000 tourists from the popular resort island of Rhodes. Tragically, two air force pilots lost their lives in the line of duty after their water-dropping plane crashed while battling a blaze on the island of Evia.
European Union officials have blamed the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe on climate change, declaring that 2022 stands as the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record, following 2017.
As efforts are focused on controlling the ongoing wildfires and ensuring the safety of residents and neighboring countries, all eyes are on the brave firefighters as they battle against these natural disasters.
