&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Wildfires rage across Greece and Croatia as tourists flee; firefighters battle flames and smoke")
Tourists and residents fled villages in Greece's Halkidiki region by land and sea on Thursday as a wildfire, driven by powerful winds, swept through homes and forests near a popular resort at the peak of the holiday season. Strong winds also hampered firefighting efforts on Croatia's popular Dalmatian coast, where a section of a major highway was closed because of a wildfire in the Lokva Rogoznica area, south of Omis, according to local media.
Across Europe, a series of heatwaves this summer has intensified drought, put additional pressure on water supplies and left vegetation extremely dry. The conditions have helped wildfires in Spain, France and Greece burn areas approaching unprecedented levels. In Greece, people wearing face masks and carrying children and pets boarded dingies and boats in the seaside town of Siviri as flames tore through a forest. Thick columns of smoke darkened the otherwise cloudless sky.
As the wildfire advanced from inland areas, flames destroyed holiday apartments and damaged their balconies overlooking the sea. The coast guard said more than 300 people had been evacuated by boat from Siviri, a picturesque peninsula south of Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, known for its woodland, olive groves and beaches.
Patrol and firefighting boats, along with fishing vessels, took part in the evacuation operation, the coast guard said in a statement. More than 140 firefighters were deployed to tackle flames burning on both sides of the main road connecting Siviri with Kassandreia. The fire brigade said nine aircraft and seven helicopters were also involved in the operation in a statement posted on X.
One firefighter was injured, while traffic on the road was halted. "Our effort is focused on extinguishing the fire and the safe transport of people," fire brigade spokesman Giannis Artopios told Protothema news portal. Meanwhile, in Croatia, local media footage showed flames spreading among trees around a major road and in built-up coastal areas.
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Evacuations were also underway in the affected areas, according to reports citing the fire department. The fires come as southern Europe continues to face intense summer heat, with dry conditions and strong winds increasing the risk of rapidly spreading wildfires across popular holiday destinations.
