Key facts
- Around 500 people were evacuated by sea from Agios Vasileios, Greece.
- Greece is battling multiple wildfires, including on Crete and near Athens.
- Spain has experienced its largest wildfire on record in the Ávila region.
- Successive heatwaves and dry vegetation are contributing to the severity of wildfires across Europe.
- Turkey is contending with numerous wildfires along its Mediterranean coastline.
Hundreds of people, primarily tourists, were evacuated by sea from the coastal town of Agios Vasileios in central Greece as a wildfire rapidly spread due to strong winds. Local media reported approximately 500 people were stranded before emergency services initiated boat evacuations. Another fire has broken out further along the coast, while firefighters continue to battle a persistent blaze on the island of Crete that has already torched thousands of hectares and led to the temporary evacuation of 8,000 residents.
Greece is experiencing a severe wildfire season, exacerbated by successive heatwaves that have dried out vegetation, creating ideal conditions for fires to ignite and spread. Similar devastating wildfires are occurring across Europe. In Portugal, a blaze near Valpaços has burned 15,000 hectares and injured five people. In Spain, over 200,000 hectares have been consumed this year, and a fire in the Ávila region is now considered the nation's largest on record. Officials are warning of a high risk of fires reigniting or emerging across Spain until at least Sunday.
Turkey is also contending with numerous wildfires along its Mediterranean coastline, with its agricultural ministry reporting 206 fires since Wednesday, including near the tourist hub of Antalya. Experts attribute the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires to climate change, noting that a mild and wet winter encouraged vegetation growth, which then became highly flammable during subsequent hot spells.