The massive fire in the Dadia National Park in northeastern Greece raged uncontrollably on Sunday. The village of Dadia was evacuated overnight and military and forest workers were deployed in the morning to cut aisles through the pine forests to prevent the flames from spreading further. The seaside town of Vatera had to be evacuated on Friday (see video above). It also continued to burn in Spain and a fire in Tenerife was a cause for concern.
Firefighting operations on the ground and in the air continued in Greece. 320 firefighters were deployed with 68 fire trucks. According to Civil Defense, almost all available fire fighting helicopters and aircraft are currently in use across the country. A large fire on the south side of the holiday island of Lesvos also went unchecked, where a village had already been evacuated the day before. Several houses and cars burned down. The region was recently hit by high winds, further fanning the flames.
Temperatures up to 40 degrees and drought until early August
According to the fire service, 141 fires were registered across Greece within 24 hours. Among other things, a substation of the state electricity company caught fire near the city of Larisa in Thessaly. For Sunday, the authorities continue to estimate the risk of fire as high. Meteorologists have announced high temperatures of up to 40 degrees and drought for the coming days until early August.
Warning for tourists in Tenerife
Despite an easing of the situation in recent days, there is no end to the series of forest fires in Spain. On the Canary Island of Tenerife, which is popular with tourists, flames have already destroyed more than 2,150 hectares, regional president Ángel Víctor Torres said late Saturday night. 585 residents of La Guancha and four other communities in the north of the island have been rescued. Numerous foreign hikers were warned about the flames in nearby Teide National Park.
The approximately 150 emergency services have recently made great progress in fighting the flames, partly thanks to higher humidity and weaker winds. The temperature increase announced for Sunday and Monday to 38 degrees is worrying. “So we need to put out the fire as soon as possible,” Torres said.
All wildfires in Spain have now been extinguished or largely under control – except for the Tenerife fire and two fires that broke out on Saturday in Yunquera northeast of Madrid and in Olmeda del Rey southeast of the capital and were fought by a total of 235 emergency services on Sunday.
Combined with months of drought and strong winds, the heat has fueled the outbreak and spread of many fires, according to the Aemet Weather Service. 2022 is already the most devastating wildfire year for Spain since the start of registration. In the first seven months of the year, the flames destroyed some 200,000 hectares.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
