Forest fires rage near Athens – VG

The vast forest fires ravaging Greece are approaching the capital, Athens. A monastery on the UNESCO World Heritage List is also now on fire.

He writes Reuters Which indicate that the fires are spreading rapidly due to the sweltering heat – Yere expects it to reach 36 degrees on Wednesday – and strong winds in the second round of wildfires in the summer.

Several hundred people have so far fled their homes. The fires, which have gutted homes, cars and factories, have shrouded Athens in smoke and ash since Tuesday.

– a little worried

This was also noted by Vegard Trovatn, a 25-year-old Norwegian history student.

– We’ve seen smoke all day. I burned violent areas, so you’re a little worried, He says to VG.

He lives roughly in the suburbs, says Trovatn. 20 minutes from the center of Athens. But he says the Greeks are good at notifying residents by mobile phone if they have to move away from the flames.

– Unless we are asked to evacuate by phone, this is not necessary.

On Tuesday evening, on his way home, Trovatn took a picture of Mount Penteli, where a fire also occurred last year.

– Then it came right close to our house, says the 25-year-old.

The historic monastery is on fire

The firefighters are making an “inhumane effort”, according to Vassilis Kikilias, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. The fire service is warning of difficult – even extreme – conditions and the potential for more fires.

Wednesday afternoon reports BBC Greece The fire spread to the historic monastery of Hosios Loukas, located in the town of Distomo in Boeotia, northwest of Athens.

The monastery, built in the middle of the nineteenth century, was built UNESCO World Heritage ListUNESCO World Heritage ListUNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural and Communication Organization) list of the world’s most important cultural monuments and natural areas..

Local media reported that visitors and monks were evacuated from the monastery TV star.

About 20 kilometers from the capital, more than 200 firefighters, 65 vehicles and 15 aircraft – some from Sweden and Germany – are battling the raging blazes. Volunteers are also involved.

Several hundred people had to leave their homes and 150 residents of the Menede nursing home were evacuated to hotels and other places.

About 700 migrants from Amygdaliza have also been evacuated to another camp. Rescue teams spotted Tuesday 18 charred bodies, possibly immigrants

One of the fires broke out on Tuesday in the village of Veli located at the foot of Mount Parnitha.

In the coastal city of Alexandroupolis, a number of patients were evacuated to a ferry. Some were on stretchers while others were walking on a drip tray.

Reuters writes that fires are common in Greece in the summer, but this year they were worse than usual due to extremely high temperatures and winds, which scientists associate with climate change.

– This summer has been the worst since meteorological data collection began, says Kikilias, Greece’s minister for the climate crisis and civil protection.

In July, tens of thousands of tourists, including Norwegians, were evacuated when fires ravaged the island of Rhodes.

– The head of the fire service, Giorgos Purnara, said at a press conference regarding the fires around Athens: – In my 32 years of service, I have never encountered such extreme conditions.

fire in Türkiye

It’s not just hot in Greece. Local authorities are urging climbers preparing to climb France’s Mont Blanc in the Alps to postpone their trip due to the heat.

The heat wave in France has led to temperatures rising to more than 40 degrees in several places in the south of the country. It is also felt on the high peaks of the Alps, which leads to dangerous climbing conditions in the mountains.

It is also burning in western Türkiye. Strong winds make the task of controlling forest fires in Canakkale difficult.

For the second day in a row, the Dardanelles Strait, which connects the Aegean Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. Closed to ship traffic Because of the fires, NTB writes.