Catastrophic fires “kneel” areas of southern Europe, in the midst of the extreme heat wave that sweeps the area, causing enormous difficulties, combined with strong winds in the fire brigade.
A NASA map recording the fires of the last 24 hours reveals the magnitude of the fiery nightmare from Italy to Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Our country is facing not only the worst heat wave in decades but also the dozens of fires raging across the country.
At least 3 huge fronts in Evia are now moving uncontrollably in different directions, mainly north and northwest, threatening to reach the sea. At the same time, fires in Ilia threaten residential areas, forcing the authorities to order the evacuation of settlements and to mobilize even the Armed Forces in the fight against extinction.
Turkey: Hundreds of people evacuated from their homes
Turkish rescue teams today evacuated hundreds of villagers from their homes by sea, as the raging fire has dangerously approached a thermal power plant, where thousands of tonnes of lignite are stored near the town of Milas. At the sound of sirens calling for the evacuation of the area, residents with their few belongings who were able to escape from their homes boarded outboard of the coast guard, mobilized from the port of Eren, not far from the city of Milas, on the border of which is located the thermal power plant.
The unprecedented fires that have been sweeping Turkey for more than a week are being blamed by experts on the extreme heatwave affecting the southern part of the country and climate change. The local authorities assured that the hydrogen tanks used to cool the fuel and lignite plant were emptied and then workers filled them with water as a precaution. “But there is a risk of the fire spreading to the thousands of tonnes of lignite inside,” said Osman Gurun, a local official, at the station.
The fire was brought under control on Wednesday, thanks to the efforts of two firefighting aircraft sent by Spain and helicopters. But the flames were rekindled yesterday afternoon. “We have been asking and warning you for days. “The fire has extinguished the thermal power plant”, the mayor of Mila said earlier yesterday, asking for “an urgent firefighting aircraft” to be sent to his area.
Italy: The blow is severe in Sicily
But in Italy the fire brigade continues to fight the flames, as in 24 hours 530 fires broke out, most of them half in Sicily, Calabria and Puglia. The flames reached beaches, besieged tourist resorts and residential areas and burned forest areas.
The Civil Protection Service has raised the risk of fires in Sicily to the highest level, warning of very high temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius in Palermo and Catania, while the president of the local region of the island urgently asked for help to stop the fire. .
The district of Molise was also declared a state of emergency due to the fires of the last 24 hours on the Adriatic coast and inland areas, which forced the Fire Brigade to evacuate houses. Firefighting aircraft – including two from France – are operating on the fire fronts, which are spreading due to drought, heat and winds, as well as the action of arsonists, with the police arresting several suspects in the last 24 hours.
Two dead from fires in Bulgaria
Due to the very high temperatures, fires broke out in several areas of Bulgaria, in one of them in the Sandanski area, near the border with Greece, two forest rangers lost their lives and a third was taken to hospital with burns.
Two other fires are raging in southern Bulgaria, while another large fire at the foot of Mount Karlovo has been brought under control, according to state television, as is a front in the southwest. The latter burned part of the village of Dolno Selo, mainly old, abandoned houses, fortunately without any injuries. In the last few days, 200-240 fires have been recorded every day, as the head of the fire brigade, Nikola Nikolov, said on the public television BNT. According to him, 93% of fires are caused by human activity and due to the heat, drought and winds they quickly become large.
The situation is tense due to the fires in Albania and Kosovo
For several days now, firefighters have been trying to contain the fires that broke out in forest and rural meadows in Albania and Kosovo.
However, although fires were brought under control in southern Albania, new ones broke out in the north on the Karaburun peninsula, while in the village of Zeneli in the south, a 64-year-old man succumbed to his burns.
Large fires are raging in the meantime in Kosovo, where a man died in Malisheva in the center of the country, according to police.
Source: iefimerida.gr
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