Athens, Greece — Water-dropping planes hailing from multiple European countries have joined forces with hundreds of firefighters in a bid to combat the relentless wildfires that have ravaged Greece for consecutive days, resulting in a tragic death toll of 20 individuals. Simultaneously, significant fires have also taken hold in Spain’s Tenerife within the Canary Islands and in northwestern Turkey, close to the Greek border.
The most extensive ongoing forest fire in Greece has been uncontrollable for the fifth consecutive day, situated near the northeastern city of Alexandroupolis. Additionally, another substantial blaze near the northwestern outskirts of Athens has led to the destruction of homes and the menacing approach towards the Parnitha national park, one of the last remaining green expanses near the Greek capital.
In a span of three days, a staggering 209 wildfires have erupted across Greece, as Ioannis Artopios, spokesperson for the fire department, revealed. Fueled by powerful gusts of wind and the scorching, arid conditions characteristic of summer, authorities have been compelled to order evacuations for numerous villages. The main hospital in Alexandroupolis, faced with imminent danger, orchestrated the transfer of over 70 patients, utilizing a docked ferry at the city’s port transformed into an impromptu floating medical facility.
Ioannis Artopios attested, “Conditions remain difficult and in many cases extreme.”
Recognizing the overwhelming strain on firefighting resources, Greece made a fervent plea for assistance from fellow European nations. Germany, Sweden, Croatia, and Cyprus responded by dispatching water-dropping aircraft, while Romania and the Czech Republic contributed substantial numbers of firefighters and water tanks.
Concurrently, the blazing wildfire advancing towards the Parnitha national park on the northwest outskirts of Athens incited mandatory evacuations in various locales. With the conflagration gaining momentum, over 200 firefighters, augmented by volunteers, military personnel, and police forces, were actively engaged in a resolute effort to quell the inferno. A contingent of eight helicopters and seven aircraft, including two each from Germany and Sweden, amplified their collective endeavors.
Meanwhile, in Alexandroupolis, the situation remains dire, as a coalition of Romanian firefighters bolstered the ongoing battle, fortified by eight helicopters and five planes, among them two from Cyprus.
In the wake of these catastrophic events, Supreme Court prosecutor Georgia Adilini has instigated inquiries into the potential existence of organized arson groups operating in the afflicted region. Addressing the tumultuous circumstances, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias stressed the simultaneous ignition of the fire from multiple sources in northeastern Greece.
Compounding the challenges, incidents of alleged racist violence have surfaced. Three individuals in the Alexandroupolis vicinity have been implicated in the detention of 13 migrants on accusations of having links to the wildfire. As a response, Georgia Adilini has extended the directive to the Alexandroupolis prosecutor to initiate investigations into these incidents.
