As of: 08/09/2021 4:40 a.m.
Italy, Greece and Turkey continue to fight countless uncontrolled forest fires. In many places there are dramatic scenes. Places have to be evacuated again and again. And the heat stays.
The situation is becoming more and more threatening: on the Greek island of Evia, huge areas of forest are in flames on the seventh day, the fires are spreading uncontrollably. Rescue workers and volunteers also fought fire on Monday night in Mugla in southwestern Turkey. In Italy, hundreds of people were evacuated because of fires on the Adriatic coast. There is no improvement in sight: At the beginning of the week, the next heat wave of over 40 degrees is looming across the region.
In the north of Evia, apocalyptic scenes took place on Monday night. The northern part is now almost completely cut off from the rest of the island by the countless large fires, as satellite images show. Rescue workers, volunteers and residents could not keep the flames in check, but were driven towards the coast by them. Boats were ready to evacuate residents – thousands have already had to leave the island. The clouds of smoke and the glow of fire could still be seen over 100 kilometers on the mainland. Uncontrolled fires also continue to rage on the Peloponnese peninsula and Crete.
Entire villages burned down
In Italy, more than 400 people were taken from their accommodations on Sunday evening due to fires around the Italian Adriatic community of Campomarino. The authorities evacuated hotels, campsites and houses in the district of Campomarino Lido by the sea. On a video of the fire brigade, you could see how thick smoke ran through the streets and how flames were eating their way through bushes to a café. The Italian civil protection authority is also sending reinforcements to the region of Calabria, which has been badly affected by forest fires. There it burned, among other things, in the Aspromonte National Park.
Five uncontrolled forest fires were counted in Turkey. In Mugla, southwest Turkey, emergency services and volunteers continued to fight the flames. The extent of the damage is increasing. According to Doganay Tolunay, forest engineer at Istanbul University, an estimated 150,000 hectares of land were burned across the country, including forests, fields, meadows and entire villages – an area more than twice the size of Lake Constance.