Deadly wildfires char Greek island amid intense heat wave

Apocalyptic scenes continue to emerge from the Greek island of Evia, where wildfires fueled by searing heat have forced thousands to flee to safety, charred pristine forests and destroyed dozens of homes and businesses as government officials plea for additional help.

"Some people are finding it hard to breathe because there is so much smoke and ash in the air," Bethany Bell, a BBC News foreign correspondent, said.

The thick smoke has also led to poor air quality across the region and completely blocked the sun in some cases, creating an eerie orange glow in the sky. More than 2,000 people have been evacuated, with many having to be transported by ferries and boats due to the flames cutting off roadways.

Greece is facing a "natural disaster of unprecedented proportions," as over 580 wildfires burn in "all corners" of the nation, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a televised address on Monday, CNN reported. He added that the past few days have been "some of the most difficult for our country in decades," due to the extreme heat and drought that have hindered firefighting efforts.

The blaze on Evia, Greece's second largest island which is located to the northeast of Athens, began on Aug. 3 and has been decimating the region ever since. More than 121,000 acres have been burned on the island, but all fire fronts were beginning to wane as of Tuesday, according to The Associated Press (AP). The fire is one of many that have broken out across the country over the past week amid a weather pattern featuring triple-digit temperatures and bone-dry conditions.

“You could feel the enormous heat, there was also a lot of smoke. You could see the sun, a red ball, and then, nothing else around,” Evia resident David Angelou told the AP after evacuating.

Satellite images from Sunday, Aug. 8, showed the extent of charred land across the island.

The death toll from the fires in Greece stands at two, while in neighboring Turkey, eight deaths have been attributed to wildfires. Rain over the weekend allowed Turkish fire crews to gain the upper hand on blazes in the country as fire crews in Greece continued to face an uphill climb.

Emergency responders have been overwhelmed by the flurry of wildfire activity in Greece and officials have requested assistance from neighboring countries as a result. Nearly two dozen countries, including the United States, have responded to the call by sending aircraft, personnel and firefighting vehicles.

Turkish officials announced on Monday that they would also send two firefighting aircraft now that their blazes are largely under control, the AP reported.

"On behalf of the Greek people, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the countries that have sent assistance and resources to help fight the wildfires," Mitsotakis said on Twitter.

Low visibility due to the thick plumes of smoke has caused hurdles for fire crews, Nikos Hardalias, Greece's deputy civil protection minister, told reporters in a briefing on Sunday.

That hasn't been the only obstacle for fire crews. The heat from the flames was so intense over the weekend that "the water from the hoses and the water-dropping aircraft was evaporating" before reaching the fire, one fire official told Agence France-Presse.

The forestland across the country has turned into a tinderbox due to a prolonged spell of hot and dry weather. Athens has reported nine days at or above 100 F (38 C) since July 28, with temperatures averaging 10 F (6 C) above normal since that time. The last time rain fell in the city was on June 15.

The cause of the fires raging across the country remains under investigation, but officials have already arrested several arson suspects, according to the AP.

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Many may be wondering if any relief from the brutal heat and extreme fire weather is in sight.

"Sweltering conditions are forecast to linger across the interior of Greece through midweek as temperatures range upwards of 100 F (38 C) and AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures rise to 105-120 F (41-49 C) each afternoon," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer said.

Cities such as Athens are forecast to remain in the mid- to upper 90s F (35-37 C), which is not quite as hot as recent weeks but still above the average of 90 F (32 C).

"Relative humidity values will remain very low and winds are forecast to be generally light to moderate through midweek," Smithmyer said.

Despite a lack of strong winds, large blazes have been known to create their own weather which can include strong wind gusts that lead to erratic fire behavior and breached containment lines.

Smithmyer noted that toward the end of the week there may be an uptick in winds which may hinder firefighting efforts as a storm system hovers nearby. Unfortunately, this storm will not have much moisture associated with it, meaning very little, if any, needed rainfall for the region.

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