Greece battles fire that forced hundreds to evacuate on island of Lesbos

• A wildfire threatening black vulture nests in Greece’s Dadia National Park was fought for a fourth day by 320 firemen working with 68 firetrucks and six firefighting planes.
• More than 450 people have been evacuated since Saturday to different areas of the island.

On the Greek island of Lesbos, hundreds of locals and visitors have been evacuated after a wildfire started, threatening villages and destroying homes.

The Greek Fire Service stated in a televised briefing on Sunday that volunteers and water tankers sponsored by the local government were assisting 50 firefighters, 17 firetrucks, and nine firefighting aircraft in putting out the fire.
The blaze, which started on Saturday morning, has been burning close to Vatera, a well-known tourist spot on the island’s coast. Authorities said that one of the fire’s fronts appeared to be fading on Sunday.
Nine individuals were rescued from a beach close to Vatera, according to Greek national television ERT, and more than 450 people have been evacuated since Saturday to different areas of the island. Over 26 buildings have sustained damage as a result of the fire.
Greece has been severely affected by flames in recent days as Europe dealt with a heat wave that broke records and resulted in fires in France and Italy as well.
A wildfire that was threatening black vulture nests, a rare type of birds, in Greece’s Dadia National Park was fought for a fourth day by 320 firemen working with 68 firetrucks and six firefighting planes.
Residential areas are at danger due to the fire.

Also Read

Biden could declare climate emergency – Kerry

US climate envoy John Kerry says President Joe Biden is considering declaring...

Dadia National Park is a part of Natura 2000, the European Union’s network of important breeding and resting places for endangered and threatened species. It is situated in the northeastern border region of Evros. The only black vulture colony in the Balkans can be found there.

Christos Stylianides, Greece’s Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, led a delegation of government representatives to Dadia on Sunday to assess the situation and look for solutions to prevent an even worse ecological catastrophe.
The purpose of the trip, according to Stylianides, was to coordinate efforts to put out the fire and “rescue our national park, a symbol of our natural environment that all of Europe cares about,” he said.
“Dadia is under the spotlight right now for all of Greece, and we must do our part to safeguard this priceless ecology,” he continued.
With predicted highs of 43 Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) and widespread fire alerts, Greece is currently facing a protracted heatwave.