Holidays in danger: Forest fires in Greece, tourists evacuated by sea

A new forest fire broke out at the end of last week in Halkidiki, one of the main tourist regions in northern Greece. Authorities have mobilized a large intervention device, including aircraft and helicopters, and tourists and locals in Siviri and Fourka have begun to be evacuated, in some cases by sea, after the flames approached residential areas and the coast, AFP reports.

The fire broke out in a wooded area located about 90 kilometers south of Thessaloniki. According to the Greek firefighters, 142 firefighters and 51 vehicles are participating in the intervention, supported by nine aircraft and seven helicopters. The flames spread through a densely wooded area with highly flammable pine trees, and images broadcast by public broadcaster ERT showed the fire approaching homes in the area. The Civil Protection issued three evacuation orders for Siviri and Fourka, two towns in a seaside resort area that is popular with tourists at the time.

• Evacuations by sea

The approach of the fire to the coast prompted authorities to resort to evacuations by sea. "People on the beaches of Siviri and Fourka must be evacuated by sea as a priority as the fire is dangerously close to the coast,” fire department spokesman Yannis Artopios told ERT. At Fourka, tourists on the beach were directed to a pier, from where they were taken by boat. Live footage broadcast by ERT showed tourists in swimsuits, some carrying their children, as smoke filled the sky above the resort. The evacuation operation from Siviri continued by sea, according to Heracles Leivadiotis, mayor of the neighboring commune of Kassandreia, quoted by AFP. Fifteen small boats were mobilized to transfer people who wanted to leave the area. According to ERT, the operation was carried out without panic.

• Fire front extends for three kilometers

According to ERT, the fire front extended for about three kilometers, and the flames in the dense pine forest reached between 20 and 30 meters. "The front is advancing towards the sea, and about 70% of the people have evacuated the area," Themis Ierissiotis, a volunteer firefighter, told the Greek station. Strong winds are complicating the intervention. Stratos Gitsoudis, president of the Panhellenic Association of Forest Firefighters, warned that the fire is close to residential areas and the conditions are extreme. Two firefighters were injured during the intervention and were taken to hospital, according to the Greek emergency services. Four ambulances were mobilized to the scene of the fire. Authorities are trying to prevent the fire from spreading to residential areas and the coast, as the wind is favoring the rapid spread of the flames.

The risk of fires remains extremely high in Greece, where wind intensification is forecast, with speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour. The weather conditions therefore represent an additional risk factor for extinguishing operations and for the tourist resorts of Halkidiki.