ADVERTISEMENT

Investing

Greece Battles Fires on Crete as Strong Winds Heighten Risks

Firefighters tackle wildfires on Evia Island, Greece, on July 30. (Nick Paleologos/Photographer: Nick Paleologos/Bl)

(Bloomberg) -- Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of part of the beach resort of Agia Marina, 27 kilometers (17 miles) south of Athens, after a fire threatened houses on Thursday. 

Firefighters, supported by helicopters, brought the blaze under control even as strong winds and mainland temperatures as high as 38C increased risks. The region around the Greek capital, along with northeast Peloponnese and the island of Evia, is on very high alert.

A separate fire that broke out on Wednesday on the island of Evia was contained this morning, but authorities are still tackling flare-ups. Greece reported 45 wildfires in 24 hours to 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday. 

Wildfires have been a threat in Greece since the 1980s, but global warming is turbo-charging the threat they pose. The country, along with Balkan nations, has born the brunt of the extreme heat that’s engulfed southern Europe this summer.

Last year, wildfires forced mass evacuations across Greece, threatening the livelihoods of locals who depend on summer visitors. About 1.3% of the Mediterranean nation’s land area was scorched in 2023, four times the average of the previous 17 years.

Another fire on the island of Crete has been brought under control on Thursday, while a blaze on Mount Orvilos — on the border between Greece and Bulgaria — is still burning.

Wildfire risks will also remain high for large swathes of Spain, Italy and France, and even extend into parts of the UK in early August, according to Copernicus forecasts.

--With assistance from Eamon Akil Farhat.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.