Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Devastating Greek Wildfires

#1
Yazata Offline
Wildfires, driven by strong winds, have already killed more than 70 people northeast of Athens. (74 confirmed, probably more than that.) The fires reportedly appeared suddenly, surprising many people (some of them tourists). People fled the onrushing smoke and flames into the sea, where many people were carried off by currents and disappeared. Others were rescued by fishing boats. The smoke was so thick that swimmers were disoriented and didn't know which direction was which.

The saddest part was 26 dead bodies, including adults and children, found huddled together on a beach for their last moments.  

Greece has a similar climate to California (that's why they call it 'Mediterranean') and is prone to similar fires. It has many firefighting resources and firefighting assistance (including air tankers) is flowing in from elsewhere in Europe. Reports suggest that two water bombers each are on their way from Croatia, Italy and Spain, all of them Canadian-built Canadairs. Greece already has seven of these of its own.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/07/24/...beach.html

https://www.facebook.com/GreekReporter/v...767600829/

https://twitter.com/northaura/status/102...0720357376

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpZjqgv11Fg

The Greek government has called out the Greek military. On a darker note, they say that arson is suspected.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/231029/artic...tica-blaze
Reply
#2
Yazata Offline
Death toll is up to 80. Hundreds are injured. Nobody knows yet how many are missing. Parents are asking for help finding their lost children, it's really sad. Greece has declared a state of emergency. They are devoting a huge effort to fighting this, are receiving a large amount of aid from other EU countries and they seem to be getting an upper hand on the fires.

Here's a video shot from a helicopter that shows the devastation. It appears that the fires roared through a populated Athens suburban area.

The vegetation, topography (and the fires) really do look like parts of California.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qhxIiuBbog
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Research Devastating Roman-era plagues were ushered in by cold snaps, study finds C C 0 14 Jan 28, 2024 06:11 PM
Last Post: C C
  Article Europe is bracing for (another) devastating drought C C 0 76 Mar 15, 2023 09:54 PM
Last Post: C C
  Wildfires are increasingly interfering to shrink California’s snowpack C C 4 152 Mar 5, 2023 12:49 AM
Last Post: Yazata
  Study: Survivors of wildfires face greater risk of cancer C C 0 70 May 17, 2022 04:08 PM
Last Post: C C
  NASA on the Texas wildfires + Baby boomers are the new climate change villains C C 0 63 Mar 26, 2022 09:19 PM
Last Post: C C
  Chernobyl wildfires are still burning C C 0 213 Apr 27, 2020 04:48 AM
Last Post: C C
  Major wildfires are burning all over the world right now. C C 0 218 Aug 20, 2019 09:30 PM
Last Post: C C
  Arctic wildfires more frequent, though Canadian experts say 2019 is 'average' year C C 1 292 Aug 2, 2019 12:28 AM
Last Post: billvon
  Wildfires rage in central Portugal + Arizona city watches, worries as mountain burns C C 0 228 Jul 23, 2019 09:33 PM
Last Post: C C
  Why the wildfires of 2018 have been so ferocious C C 1 367 Aug 16, 2018 12:19 AM
Last Post: Syne



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)