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19 April 2024
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Three injured, including a firefighter, in Greece's first major wildfire in 2024
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Three people were injured on Saturday, 6 April 2024, during Greece's first major wildfire of this year, which broke out on Crete Island in southern Greece, according to Fire Brigade officers. The fire erupted in a forested area on the outskirts of Ierapetra city in the southeastern part of the island. A total of 169 firefighters were deployed to battle the flames, which were fanned by winds up to 8 on the Beaufort scale blowing in the area.
They were supported by four water-dropping helicopters.
An elderly man was hospitalised in serious condition, while a female resident of a nearby settlement and a firefighter were slightly injured.
Authorities issued an emergency alert to about 300 residents of the villages of Achlia, Galini, Agia Fotia and Mavros Kolimpos, to evacuate their homes as a precaution.
On Saturday a total of 71 wildfires broke out across the country, according to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Greece suffers from many wildfires every summer due to high temperatures, heatwaves linked to climate change and arsonists. Twenty people lost their lives in 2023 due to the wildfires. Over 100 died during the fire season in 2018.
Officially the fire season in Greece starts on May 1 and ends on Oct 31 each year. However, the weather in recent weeks is unusually warm for spring and authorities were on alert for wildfires. The thermometer reached 30 degrees Celsius in the mainland on Saturday, according to Greek meteorologists.
Scientists fear that the season could be damaging given that Greece has just had its warmest winter on record, leaving much of the land warm and dry.
Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean nation. Last year a wildfire burning in northeastern Greece for 11 days destroyed an area larger than New York City and killed 20 people.
Sources: Reuters, China Daily
They were supported by four water-dropping helicopters.
An elderly man was hospitalised in serious condition, while a female resident of a nearby settlement and a firefighter were slightly injured.
Authorities issued an emergency alert to about 300 residents of the villages of Achlia, Galini, Agia Fotia and Mavros Kolimpos, to evacuate their homes as a precaution.
On Saturday a total of 71 wildfires broke out across the country, according to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Greece suffers from many wildfires every summer due to high temperatures, heatwaves linked to climate change and arsonists. Twenty people lost their lives in 2023 due to the wildfires. Over 100 died during the fire season in 2018.
Officially the fire season in Greece starts on May 1 and ends on Oct 31 each year. However, the weather in recent weeks is unusually warm for spring and authorities were on alert for wildfires. The thermometer reached 30 degrees Celsius in the mainland on Saturday, according to Greek meteorologists.
Scientists fear that the season could be damaging given that Greece has just had its warmest winter on record, leaving much of the land warm and dry.
Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean nation. Last year a wildfire burning in northeastern Greece for 11 days destroyed an area larger than New York City and killed 20 people.
Sources: Reuters, China Daily