Wildfire situation in Greek Kos 'fast-evolving'
3 Min Read
Greece has been experiencing unusually hot weather, with a heatwave occurring before June 15 and temperatures surpassing 44°C (111°F) in some areas.
-
Firefighter struggles to extinguish a forest fire in the Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, June 30, 2024. (AP)
Travel operators Jet2holidays and EasyJet Holidays issued statements on the ongoing wildfire situation on the Greek island of Kos earlier this week, urging customers to comply with their hotels' and local authorities' advice and guidance in the event of evacuation orders.
EasyJet Holidays released a statement on Monday evening, updating customers on the ongoing wildfire situation and providing advice to ensure the safety of travelers.
"We’d like to remind our customers currently in Kardamena to continue following the guidance of their hotel and the local authorities, and continue to check SMS and email for any updates from us," the traveler operator wrote in a message to its customers, informing them of the available holiday personnel who are able to provide further assistance.
"The safety and wellbeing of our customers and colleagues is always our first priority and we would like to advise our customers on the island to follow the guidance of the local authorities," Jet2holidays said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
The traveler operator added that their flights are operating on schedule, highlighting airport congestion and longer waiting times given the current situation.
Hundreds of firefighters, alongside firefighting aircraft and helicopters, fought the wildfires on Kos on Monday.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of a "particularly dangerous" summer for wildfires, in response to Greece's national press report of over 50 reported wildfires igniting in 24 hours.
"We have had an exceptionally difficult June regarding weather conditions, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this season," Mitsotakis stated, according to Sky News.
Hot summer blaze
Greece has been experiencing unusually hot weather, with a heatwave occurring before June 15, the earliest on record, and temperatures surpassing 44°C (111°F) in some areas.
The country has become a tinderbox after an excessively mild winter. Recently, extreme weather conditions have sparked fires across the country.
The civil protection service called for extreme vigilance last month, because the risk of fires, often fanned by gale-force winds, was “very high”, particularly in the Attica region, the Peloponnese peninsula, and central Greece.
Hydra's mayor, Giorgos Koukoudakis, stated that the municipality would seek compensation once the judicial process had concluded if the accused, the 13 people arrested in connection with a forest fire that was ignited on the island of Hydra by fireworks launched from the boat they were sailing on, were found guilty.
“Depending on the outcome, our town hall will seek compensation,” he said. “What was destroyed was an absolutely beautiful pine forest and on the night in question, because of the winds, fireworks were banned. To use them was utterly irresponsible.”
Penalties for arson and ecological destruction have been toughened in Greece. The amended criminal code stipulates prison terms of up to 20 years and fines of up to €200,000 for those found guilty of such crimes.
According to reports on June 23, Greece suffered 66 wildfires within 24 hours on June 21 and 22, according to reports from the media.
