Residents of the Greek island of Evia are fleeing to safety by sea as wildfires continue to rage across the landscape. Over 2,000 people have already been evacuated, with elderly residents being transported to ferries, BBC reported.
The fires ripped through Evia’s dense forests, cutting off escape routes on land and prompting rescues via sea. Air turbulence and surging wind from the fires on Evia are making it difficult for water-bombing planes and helicopters, said Civil Protection chief Nikos Hardalias.
Greek temperatures have soared to 45 degrees Celsius, the highest they’ve been in 30 years (113F). In recent days, a number of wildfires have ravaged the country. According to reports, a fire in a northern Athens suburb has been put out. As a result of human-induced climate change, heatwaves like this are becoming more common and more extreme. Wildfires are likely to be fueled by the hot, dry weather that follows.
There have been two fire fronts on the island of Evia, which is located to the north and east of Athens. A number of villages on the island have been plagued by fires that firefighters have been battling to contain.