Greece wildfires continue to burn as temperatures soar above 100 degrees
Janez Lenarcic, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, tweeted on Sunday that more than 450 firefighters and seven airplanes from across the European Union have been operating in Greece to assist the nation in firefighting efforts.
Watch: Evacuations ordered as wildfire rages on Greek island of Corfu
Emergency officials ordered evacuations for parts of Corfu on Sunday, July 23, as wildfires spread on the Greek island. Thousands of people have been told to evacuate the Greek island of Rhodes as fires spread there.
ATHENS, Greece – Firefighters across Greece continue working tirelessly to contain and extinguish dozens of blazes scorching the landscape, all while temperatures soar across Europe.
According to a report from the Associated Press, firefighters are currently working to contain 82 wildfires in Greece, 62 of which ignited on Sunday.
Thousands evacuate Greece wildfires
Tourists wait in the airport's departure hall as evacuations are underway due to wildfires, on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 23, 2023. Locals and tourists fled hotspots on Rhodes, as firefighters battled a blaze that had sparked the country's largest-ever fire evacuation. Firefighters were bracing for high winds that have been forecast for the afternoon and that could hamper their efforts.
(WILL VASSILOPOULOS/AFP / Getty Images)
Thousands of people have been evacuated from the island of Rhodes, where the most serious fire has been burning. The AP reported that at least 19,000 people were told to flee Rhodes - 16,000 of which were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea.
Vacation company Jet2 previously canceled all flights headed to Rhodes through July 30. However, the company said on Twitter that those flights would still go to the island without passengers, so customers can return to the United Kingdom on their scheduled flights, as well as any additional Jet2 customers wishing to leave.
Watch: Greek wildfires visible from London-bound airplane as evacuations ordered in Corfu
Passengers on an airplane headed for London spotted massive wildfires burning in Greece.
TUI also canceled all flights to Rhodes through at least Friday and has also canceled vacations for customers traveling to impacted hotels through July 30. In addition, TUI said more staff had been added in Rhodes to support customers and provide assistance to those wishing to get back to the UK.
At least six people were briefly hospitalized as a result of the fires, and the AP says one person broke their leg trying to evacuate a hotel and a pregnant woman remained hospitalized.
More evacuations have also been ordered on the island of Corfu, as well as the island of Evia and a mountainous area in the southern Peloponnese region, according to the AP.
HOW THE LAY OF THE LAND AFFECTS WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR
Greece firefight far from over
![RHODES ISLAND, GREECE - JULY 24: Teams try to extinguish wildfires on Rhodes island, Greece on July 24, 2023. Some 19,000 people have been evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes as wildfires continued burning for a sixth day, authorities said on Sunday. As many as 266 firefighters and 49 fire engines were on the ground battling the blazes, assisted by five helicopters and 10 airplanes.]()
Image 1 of 16RHODES ISLAND, GREECE - JULY 24: Teams try to extinguish wildfires on Rhodes island, Greece on July 24, 2023. Some 19,000 people have been evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes as wildfires continued burning for a sixth day, authorities said on Sunday. As many as 266 firefighters and 49 fire engines were on the ground battling the blazes, assisted by five helicopters and 10 airplanes. (Damianidis Eleftherios/Anadolu Agency)
![24 July 2023, Greece, Gennadi: A Romanian firefighter sprays water on a cat as a fire broke out near the village of Gennadi. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece.]()
Image 2 of 1624 July 2023, Greece, Gennadi: A Romanian firefighter sprays water on a cat as a fire broke out near the village of Gennadi. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece. (Socrates Baltagiannis/picture alliance)
![24 July 2023, Greece, Kiotari: Burned cars in the village of Kiotari. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece]()
Image 3 of 1624 July 2023, Greece, Kiotari: Burned cars in the village of Kiotari. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece (Socrates Baltagiannis/picture alliance)
![24 July 2023, Greece, Gennadi: Romanian firefighters try to extinguish a fire that broke out in a house near the village of Gennadi. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece.]()
Image 4 of 1624 July 2023, Greece, Gennadi: Romanian firefighters try to extinguish a fire that broke out in a house near the village of Gennadi. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece. (Socrates Baltagiannis/picture alliance)
![24 July 2023, Greece, Gennadi: Romanian firefighters try to extinguish a fire that broke out in a house near the village of Gennadi. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece.]()
Image 5 of 1624 July 2023, Greece, Gennadi: Romanian firefighters try to extinguish a fire that broke out in a house near the village of Gennadi. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece. (Socrates Baltagiannis/picture alliance)
![Civilians use a hose to attempt to stop a fire from approaching houses between the villages of Kiotari and Gennadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 24, 2023. Firefighters tackled blazes that erupted in peak tourism season, sparking the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation -- and leaving flights and holidays cancelled. Tens of thousands of people have already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home on evacuation flights.]()
Image 6 of 16Civilians use a hose to attempt to stop a fire from approaching houses between the villages of Kiotari and Gennadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 24, 2023. Firefighters tackled blazes that erupted in peak tourism season, sparking the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation -- and leaving flights and holidays cancelled. Tens of thousands of people have already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home on evacuation flights. (SPYROS BAKALIS/AFP)
![This photograph taken on July 24, 2023, shows burnt vehicles and smoke in the background during a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Genadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes. Firefighters tackled blazes that erupted in peak tourism season, sparking the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation -- and leaving flights and holidays cancelled. Tens of thousands of people have already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home on evacuation flights.]()
Image 7 of 16This photograph taken on July 24, 2023, shows burnt vehicles and smoke in the background during a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Genadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes. Firefighters tackled blazes that erupted in peak tourism season, sparking the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation -- and leaving flights and holidays cancelled. Tens of thousands of people have already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home on evacuation flights. (SPYROS BAKALIS/AFP)
![TOPSHOT - People watch the fires near the village of Malona in the Greek island of Rhodes on July 23, 2023. Tens of thousands of people fled wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 23, 2023, as terrified tourists scrambled to get home. Firefighters tackled blazes that erupted in peak tourism season, sparking the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation -- and leaving flights and holidays cancelled.]()
Image 8 of 16TOPSHOT - People watch the fires near the village of Malona in the Greek island of Rhodes on July 23, 2023. Tens of thousands of people fled wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 23, 2023, as terrified tourists scrambled to get home. Firefighters tackled blazes that erupted in peak tourism season, sparking the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation -- and leaving flights and holidays cancelled. (SPYROS BAKALIS/AFP)
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Image 9 of 1622 July 2023, Greece, Rhodos: Forest fires rage on the vacation island of Rhodes (photo taken from an airplane). According to meteorologists, the heat wave will continue next week with minor fluctuations. On Wednesday, a new peak is expected with temperatures around 46 degrees in southern Greece. Photo: Christophe Gateau/dpa (Photo by Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 10 of 16ATHENS, GREECE - JULY 20: Firefighter teams intervene a wildfire at the village of Palaiochori near Athens, Greece on July 20, 2023. (Photo by Costas Baltas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 11 of 16RHODES ISLAND, GREECE - JULY 22: Firefighter teams intervene a wildfire across Greece's Rhodes island on July 22, 2023. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from hotels on the southeastern coast of Rhodes island as a huge wildfire that had been burning on the island since Tuesday morning continued to spread quickly. Firefighters, as well as fire extinguisher aircraft, are battling the blazes against strong winds. (Photo by Lefty Damian/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 12 of 16A man runs for protection during a wildfire at Agios Sotiras, a village 35 km West of Athens, on July 20, 2023. Forest fires are burning for the 4th consecutive day in Western Attica (Photo by Dimitris Kapantais / SOOC / SOOC via AFP) (Photo by DIMITRIS KAPANTAIS/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![Burning trees in Nea Zoi in Nea Peramos, a place near Megara, Greece on July 19, 2023. After three days, firefighters are still fighting the flames in Nea Zoi.]()
Image 13 of 16Burning trees in Nea Zoi in Nea Peramos, a place near Megara, Greece on July 19, 2023. After three days, firefighters are still fighting the flames in Nea Zoi. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto)
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Image 14 of 16RHODES ISLAND, GREECE - JULY 22: A firefighter helicopter drops water as teams conduct extinguishing works by land and air to control wildfires across Greece's Rhodes island on July 22, 2023. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from hotels on the southeastern coast of Rhodes island as a huge wildfire that had been burning on the island since Tuesday morning continued to spread quickly. Firefighters, as well as fire extinguisher aircraft, are battling the blazes against strong winds. (Photo by Lefty Damian/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 15 of 16RHODES ISLAND, GREECE - JULY 22: A firefighter helicopter drops water as teams conduct extinguishing works by land and air to control wildfires across Greece's Rhodes island on July 22, 2023. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from hotels on the southeastern coast of Rhodes island as a huge wildfire that had been burning on the island since Tuesday morning continued to spread quickly. Firefighters, as well as fire extinguisher aircraft, are battling the blazes against strong winds. (Photo by Lefty Damian/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )
![RHODES ISLAND, GREECE - JULY 22: Tourists are evacuated as huge wildfire rages across Greece's Rhodes island on July 22, 2023. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from hotels on the southeastern coast of Rhodes island as a huge wildfire that had been burning on the island since Tuesday morning continued to spread quickly. Firefighters, as well as fire extinguisher aircraft, are battling the blazes against strong winds.]()
Image 16 of 16RHODES ISLAND, GREECE - JULY 22: Tourists are evacuated as huge wildfire rages across Greece's Rhodes island on July 22, 2023. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from hotels on the southeastern coast of Rhodes island as a huge wildfire that had been burning on the island since Tuesday morning continued to spread quickly. Firefighters, as well as fire extinguisher aircraft, are battling the blazes against strong winds. (Lefty Damian/Anadolu Agency)
In a news conference on Sunday, Greek officials said firefighters continue to battle the blazes on all fronts.
Officials said a major offensive on the fire burning in Rhodes was being conducted in the settlement of Asklipieio. To combat the fire, forces were using eight aircraft, two of which were from Turkey and one from Croatia, and 10 helicopters, three of which came from Egypt.
Another fire broke out on the island of Corfu on Sunday in the Lutses area, which grew extremely large and is now threatening settlements on the northeastern side of the island.
SEE EERIE ORANGE SKIES OVER NEW YORK CITY AS CANADIAN WILDFIRE SMOKE BLANKETS NORTHEAST
Help flows into Greece from across the region
Janez Lenarcic, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, tweeted on Sunday that more than 450 firefighters and seven airplanes from across the European Union have been operating in Greece to assist the nation in firefighting efforts.
"I called Kyriakos Mitsotakis to express our full support for Greece, which is confronted with devastating forest fires and a heavy heat wave due to climate change," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet. "Greece is handling this difficult situation with professionalism, putting emphasis on safely evacuating thousands of tourists, and can always count on European solidarity. EU firefighters are already on the ground."
Temperatures soar across Europe
The forecast high temperatures in Europe through Thursday, July 27, 2023.
(FOX Weather)
Extreme temperatures continue across Europe, prompting heat warnings and the closure of top tourist destinations, including ones in Greece which is only adding to the extreme fire conditions.
Red alert warnings, similar to Excessive Heat Warnings by the National Weather Service in the U.S., were issued in southern Italy, parts of Spain, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina last week.
The UK Met Office forecasted temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in parts of Italy and Greece.
Rome, for example, will see high temperatures around 94 degrees on Monday but will drop into the upper 80s by Thursday. Athens is expected to stay hot for the next several days, with a forecast high temperature of 102 on Monday, 107 on Wednesday and dropping into the upper 90s by Thursday.