Greek wildfire kills two people and forces villages to evacuate

Two people died overnight in a large wildfire burning through forestland near a seaside resort in southern Greece, authorities said.

The fire service said about 350 firefighters, assisted by eight water-dropping aircraft, managed to bring the blaze near Xylokastro in the Peloponnese region largely under control early on Monday

Half a dozen villages were ordered evacuated overnight as a precaution after the blaze broke out on Sunday. The flames were fanned on by very strong winds blowing through forests left tinder-dry by a warm spring and hot summer.

Authorities said the two dead were believed to be local residents declared missing late on Sunday. Nobody else was believed to be missing.

There were no immediate reports of burned homes in the affected area, some 150 kilometres southwest of Athens.

Greece faced another dangerous summer of wildfires

Greece, like other southern European countries, is plagued by destructive wildfires every summer. Over the past few months, authorities have had to cope with more than 4,500 wildfires.

Hospitals and residential suburbs had to be evacuated northeast of Athens in August as a blaze tore through dry pine forests.

The country has been hit by repeated heatwaves, with June and July being the hottest months ever recorded in Greece.

It comes after a record-long 16-day heatwave fuelled the EU’s largest ever wildfire in summer 2023, which killed at least 28 people.

The Mediterranean is warming up fast

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average, according to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s climate agency, Copernicus.

This has been felt most keenly over central and southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean – with Greece especially hard hit.

Its mosaic of islands makes it especially vulnerable during wildfires, due to varied microclimates, unique ecosystems and logistical challenges.

Marine heatwaves coupled with hot, dry weather are adding to the country’s extreme weather woes by contributing to fiercer and more frequent storms – like September 2023’s Storm Daniel.

New laws have been introduced this year to curb the impact of wildfires. These include enforcing the removal of biomass from within or near forest areas.

Experts are also looking at a range of technical solutions to tackle wildfires – including drones and temperature sensors.