Europe’s most beloved travel destination Greece is battling tough situation as wildfires rage at the capital city Athens, leading to the evacuation of some residents.
According to Al-Jazeera, the Country’s Fire Spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis reported that residents of the town of Kryoneri, 20km(12.5 miles) northeast of Athens, received three text messages on Saturday, July 26, to leave for safe areas.
The spokesperson said, "Greek media outlets showed houses on fire. There have been reports of damage. We will take stock when the fires have been put out."
"The real difficulties are ahead of us as the Greece has asked for six fire fighting planes from the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism," he added.
Almost 335 firefighters, 44 fire engines, 19 firefighting planes and 13 helicopters are attempting to put out the fire on site, whose origin is unknown.
Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems.
According to the reports, 11 regions of Greece face a "very high risk" of fire, and the government has appealed for help from EU partners to help it deal with this conflagration on multiple ends.
Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames.
"Under such conditions, which are expected to persist in the coming days, wildfires expand very quickly and become dangerous," Vathrakoyannis said.
Thousands of people in Greece and Turkey have been forced to evacuate homes as firefighters in the countries battled to contain wildfires fanned by strong winds and intense agonizing heat.
“With climate change leading to warmer temperatures and drier conditions and the increasing urbanization of rural areas, the fire season is starting earlier and ending later,” states the World Health Organization (WHO).
Wildfire events are getting more extreme in terms of acres burned, duration and intensity, and they can disrupt transportation, communications, water supply, and power and gas services.
Additionally, Wildfires are very destructive, and have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month.
Heatwaves and dry conditions linked to climate change have become more frequent across the world in recent years.
