Fire prevention

Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Athens, after a forest fire broke out Monday morning. The coast guard put two patrol boats and several fishing boats and private vessels on standby in case an evacuation by sea was necessary.

Greek authorities on Saturday evacuated eight villages near the northeastern border with Turkey, where a large summer wildfire was burning out of control, whipped on by high winds.

More than 1,000 firefighters are battling a series of wildfires in Portugal as it and neighboring Spain experience several days of extreme summer heat, with temperatures in many areas rising above 40 degrees Celsius (104 F).

A wildfire has erupted on the slopes of Mt Olympus, near the village of Karya, authorities say.

Firefighters have been joined by volunteers and, because  of the rugged terrain, a helicopter.

The FireHub service of the BEYOND operational unit at the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications, and Remote Sensing of the National Observatory of Athens (IADET/EAA) has documented the highest levels of burned areas from forest fires in the past thirteen years as of the end of July.

A total of 62 forest fires broke out in a 24-hour period that lasted until Monday evening, with most being immediately dealt with at their initial stage, according to a statement by the Fire Service.

The Fire Service is also urging people to be particularly careful and, in case of fire, for their own safety to follow the instructions of the competent authorities.

During an interview with newspaper To Vima on Sunday, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias discussed the forthcoming priorities to enhance Civil Protection.

Kikilias emphasized that their foremost concern is recruiting over 500 new firefighters to provide substantial support during wildfires. 

Approximately 6,900 hectares of land have been reduced into ashes in 1,022 forest fires since the beginning of the year, with a significant portion of this damage occurring during the fires that took place between July 10 and 18, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı has informed.

Wildfires that have scorched Greece for more than two weeks were on Saturday mostly under control, but firefighters remained in key hotspots with strong winds still a threat, officials said.

Three fires broke out on Saturday in the Peloponnese peninsula, with authorities protectively ordering the evacuation of four communities near the city of Pyrgos.

Beyond any inadequacies of the state in handling them, the intensity of the wildfires in Greece and the extent of the damage they caused, combined with the weather conditions, show that this is not a crisis that will simply pass.