Severe Wildfires Force Tourist Evacuations in Greece and Threaten Bomb-Riddled German Forests

Tourists in Greece were forced to flee forest fires via fishing boats as relentless high temperatures continued to plague Western Europe. According to ERT public television, a massive wall of flames measuring 3km long and up to 30 metres high closed in on resorts situated on the Halkidiki peninsula, south of the city of Thessaloniki. Nearly 500 tourists, many carrying children in their arms, were successfully evacuated by sea using small boats. The coastguard confirmed that patrol boats, fire boats, and fishing vessels all participated in the rescue operation.

Speaking to the Protothema news site, fire brigade spokesman Giannis Artopios explained that Thursday's evacuation had to be conducted by sea because the flames advanced too close to the beaches for a safe land evacuation. "Our effort is focused on extinguishing the fire and the safe transport of people," Artopios stated. Like much of Europe, Greece has been severely impacted by fires this season, with approximately 40 blazes reported nationwide, including nine that remain completely out of control. Successive heatwaves throughout the summer have intensified droughts, strained water supplies, and left vegetation tinder-dry, enabling destructive wildfires to scorch vast territories in Spain, France, and Greece.

Meanwhile, in western Germany, over 2,000 residents were evacuated from their homes early Friday morning after a wildfire near the Belgian border began spreading rapidly toward the village of Gey. Mayor Stephan Cranen informed the regional public broadcaster WDR that although the evacuation was successfully completed, the situation remained critical, with flames approaching within 300 metres of the village. Cranen noted that one of the out-of-control blazes had spread overnight toward a former munitions depot in the nearby town of Dueren. Firefighters reported that unexploded Second World War ammunition remains scattered across parts of the surrounding forest due to hilly terrain that prevented complete clearance, and occasional detonations could be heard as the wildfire advanced.

In the UK, London recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday as temperatures reached 38.1°C, surpassing the previous high set on June 28 by a tenth of a degree. Firefighters battled multiple blazes across central England, resulting in homes being destroyed in the West Midlands. Mayor Richard Parker described the unfolding situation as an "extremely worrying and fast-moving situation."

In Croatia, forest fires spread aggressively toward the seaside town of Lokva Rogoznica near Split, injuring 19 people and forcing hundreds of residents and tourists to evacuate, according to local authorities. Croatia's fire chief, Slavko Tucakovic, described the event as the worst blaze in the nation's history. Speaking to national radio on Friday, Tucakovic recounted, "Around two in the morning, the fire spread very rapidly, driven by strong winds that kept shifting direction. It was a terrifying sight. Numerous houses, cafes, restaurants, cars and boats that were hauled out of the water were damaged."

In France, fires intensified once again on Friday in the south-western area of Les Landes, scorching more than 1,000 hectares of land as temperatures once again crossed the 40°C threshold. This same region experienced major fires last month that necessitated the emergency evacuation of 220,000 people.