More than 3,000 hectares of pine and olive groves were burned by a fire that broke out on July 31 near the city of Patras, 200 km west of Athens. This was reported by the National Observatory concerning satellite images.
The fire in the region continues.
Authorities attributed the fire to record high temperatures.
In Patras, in the surrounding areas in the near future, forecast temperatures up to 45° C.
These days in Greece was recorded the temperature record, 46.3° C.
“We are facing the worst heatwave since 1987,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“We are not talking more about climate change, but about the threat of climate,” said Deputy Civil Defense Minister Nikos Gardalias. He said that in July, there were 1,584 fires across Greece against 953 in 2019.
Five villages, a seaside town, and the popular Butterfly Valley Nature Reserve were evacuated on the island of Rhodes off the coast of Turkey on Sunday. Due to large-scale fires, eight people were hospitalized with burns and breathing problems.
One hundred fifty-nine firefighters, 34 vehicles are trying to put out the fire. Assistance is provided by the Greek army, volunteer firefighters, as well as water tanks and construction equipment of local authorities.
In the coming days on the island, forecast temperatures will be up to 42° C.
Fire in Croatia
The second day is an intense fire in the mountains near Trogir. The smoke caused air traffic problems, so several planes could not land or take off at the Split airport. The aircraft were diverted to Zadar and Zagreb, and some had to return to Vienna, Belgrade, or Zagreb.
The fire destroyed 559 hectares of pine forests and low vegetation.
One hundred seventy firefighters tried to put out the fire. Service members of the Croatian Armed Forces assisted them. Fifty cars and eight planes and helicopters were involved.
On the morning of August 3, the fire was still spreading.
Macedonians mobilized the army
In northern Macedonia, an army has been mobilized to put out fires that have broken out in various parts of the country.
On the evening of August 2, President Stevo Pendarovsky wrote on Facebook that he had made this decision at the suggestion of the General Staff and after analyzing the situation with the fires.
Large fires broke out on August 2 in the north of the country, threatening settlements.
The most dramatic situation was in Kochany, where flames engulfed houses (photo 3). But early in the morning on August 3, the fire was contained.
Two houses burned down, but fortunately, the spread to the central part of the city was prevented, said Kochaniv Mayor Nikolcho Iliev.
He said that firefighters from all surrounding municipalities and the city of Skopje, and the army here helped put out the terrible fire.
Five victims are reported. No one was killed.
A complete ban on visiting forests has been introduced in northern Macedonia since August 3rd.
Fire in Albania covered tourist regions
Fires continue to spread in Albania. The situation is tense on the Karaburun Peninsula near Vlora. The Albanian government has sent forces to fight fire threatening the Pashaliman naval base in the area. On Tuesday, the government deployed two helicopters and about 500 troops, but the situation remained difficult. On the night of August 4, the flames of fires in Karaburun were clearly visible from the residential area of Orikum in Vlora (pictured).
In total, the fires spread to different areas in 6 regions of the country. In addition to Vlora, it is Tirana, Shkoder, Berat, Durres, Gjirokastra.
Albanian authorities report hundreds of hectares of forests and pastures destroyed by fires across Albania.
One person died in Gjirokastra. Three villages in the area were evacuated on Tuesday.
In a post on social media, Albanian President Ilir Meta stressed that there are currently more than 70 active fires in Albania and criticized the government’s response to the situation.
The Albanian Emergency Service reports that the Albanian state has asked the emergency response center in Brussels to help Albania cope with the critical situation, which continues to worsen due to high temperatures and winds.
The latest air temperature in the country reached 41° C.
