Wildfire

The world is unprepared for the increasing ferocity of wildfires turbocharged by climate change, scientists say, as blazes from North America to Europe greet the northern hemisphere summer in the hottest year on record.

A bolt of lightning sparked a wildfire on a remote hillside in Lafka in Corinthia on Monday evening, state broadcaster ERT reported, saying the blaze started at around 6 p.m. in woodland.

Four water-dumping airplanes and two helicopters assisted crews on the ground until nightfall, as 30 firefighters continued to battle the blaze.

Late last night, Ginka Raicheva, the regional governor of Haskovo, declared a partial state of emergency in the municipalities of Lyubimets and Harmanli following wildfires in Sakar mountain. The fires ignited yesterday afternoon near the villages of Oryahovo, Izvorovo, and Dripchevo. According to reports from BNT, there is currently no immediate threat to residential areas.

In June, record-breaking temperatures across various cities in Türkiye have led to a fivefold increase in forest fires compared to last year.

The General Directorate of Forestry emphasized the need for protective measures and cautioned against behaviors that would spark forest fires, such as stubble burning and improper disposal of cigarette butts.

Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation program, has been activated for the immediate mapping of the areas in Achaia and Ilia, southern Greece, that have been burned in wildfires since Friday.

As the night fell on Saturday, firefighters battled a large blaze on the island of Andros, southern Greece, and three more smaller fires in Rodopi, Evia and Lakonia, as the combination of high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds continued to fan the flames.

Hundreds of firefighters struggled on Saturday to contain wildfires fanned by gale force winds on two Greek islands and in other parts of Greece, as authorities warned many regions face a high risk of new blazes.

Five people were killed and dozens more required medical treatment after a fire that started with the burning of crop stubble spread through settlements in southeast Turkey overnight, officials said Friday.

Authorities have urged residents to evacuate an area in the region of Argolida, southern Greece, after a wildfire that started on Wednesday was rekindled by strong winds.

A 112 emergency alert message was sent, instructing residents of Dardiza to evacuate towards Thermisia, and Petrothalassa Ermionis.

The hot, dry, windy conditions forecast for Thursday and Friday are conducive to a very high forest fire risk, according to a map drawn up by the Flame team of the National Observatory of Athens. Temperatures in many parts of the country will exceed 37 Celsius, reaching 40C in places, while strong winds will blow in eastern areas.