It’s been another summer of wildfires in Greece and Turkey, fueled in part by a heat wave that is wilting tourism across Southern Europe.
Tourists have been sweltering under temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, including 111 degrees in some parts of inland Greece last weekend. Meanwhile, firefighters have been battling multiple wildfires, including some that caused villages near Athens to be evacuated.
The fires were reminiscent of those that burned through parts of Greece last August, destroying more than 100 homes and killing two people.
Fires also broke out on the Greek island of Kythira and in the Messinia region, The New York Times reported. In Turkey, first responders were battling 84 separate blazes, and fires also broke out near the coastal resort town of Saranda in Albania.
Local residents, tourism agencies and safety officials were hoping that more moderate temperatures would bring some relief this week, however.
In June, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Greece issued a natural disaster advisory noting the heightened risk of wildfires throughout the country. “High temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds may contribute to wildfire outbreaks,” according to the advisory, which directed travelers to refer to Greece’s official fire risk map for detailed updates on conditions.
Similarly, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey issued a travel alert about wildfires on July 3, noting that the fires were impacting travel to Izmir Province, including Aliaga, Çeşme, Gaziemir, Menderes and Seferihisar.
The warning cited the risk of evacuations, disruption to power and communications including cell phone service and road closures. “Wildfires are common in Türkiye during summer months and have also been occurring elsewhere in the country in recent weeks,” the alert noted.
Europe already has sweltered through three heatwaves this summer, including record temperatures recorded in June. Western and southern Europe have been hardest hit.
