Greece Wildfires: Strong Winds Ignite More Fires As PM Warns Of 'Dangerous Summer' Ahead

Since 2023, Greece has dealt with devastating wildfires due to the heatwave and climate change. However, this year due to strong winds and a drought season, the wildfires are spreading.

It is to be noted that wildfires in Greece, especially during the summer are a common phenomenon. However, since last year, due to climate change and hotter weather, the fires have become more frequent, sounding alarms across Athens.

52 Wildfires In 24 Hours

As firefighters continued to fight dozens of wildfires over the weekend, new fires broke out on the eastern Aegean islands of Chios and Kos on Monday.

Emergency services have issued evacuation orders and urged people in nearby areas to head to the nearest beach in Chios. In Kos, a fire broke out on late Monday, forcing several residents and tourists to evacuate as a precaution.

In the past 24 hours, Greece has reported 52 new wildfires, of which 44 have been tackled in the early stages. These fires also come after firefighter and fire services brought two large fires near Athens under control.

PM Warns Of 'Dangerous Summer'

As strong winds continue to ignite more fires across Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned of a "dangerous summer" ahead. Not only have the wildfires raised alarms, but the drought and hotter and drier winds will also be a cause for concern.

"It is a summer which is expected to be particularly dangerous ... The most difficult times are still ahead of us. We had a very difficult June in terms of weather conditions with high drought and unusually high gusts of wind for the season," the Greek PM told his cabinet.

As per the data shared by Mitsotakis, less than 100,000 square metres of land has been burnt in the two fires near Athens.

As compared to 2023, Greece has amped up its preparations to tackle wildfires. Last year, the Greek leader had declared a "national emergency" due to the wildfires in Rhodes, which caused around 19,000 people including tourists to flee and killed 20.