:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/952f77b4-f225-11eb-88b6-02d2fb1aa1d7.jpg "Greek villages evacuated for forest fires: navy in action | Abroad")
The highway between the peninsula and mainland Greece is closed, hospitals are ready to receive the injured. The Coast Guard rescued 15 people from the coastal area and more than 100 children were evacuated from a seaside camp, local media reported. The Navy is patrolling the coast to help people who are cornered by the fire from the area if necessary.
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Greek firefighters in action in Labiri.
Ⓒ Dutch Height / AFP
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The fire has been raging since Wednesday. Earlier this week, the fire also spread north of Athens. Houses went up in flames, but no injuries were reported.
Heat wave
Greece is experiencing what meteorologists say is a ‘historical heat wave’. It is expected that the temperature will locally rise to 46 degrees this weekend and next week. The end of the extreme heat is not yet in sight. The high temperatures could last for two weeks, according to some estimates.
Elsewhere in southern Europe it is also very hot and fires have broken out. In the south of Italy in particular, firefighters had to turn out hundreds of times in the past 24 hours. The island of Sicily in particular is suffering from wildfires, after Sardinia was also hit by a major forest fire a week ago.
Six people were killed in heavy fires in Turkey. Hotels in southern areas on the Mediterranean Sea had to be evacuated. Tourists have sometimes been brought to safety by boats.
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