Amid heat wave, EU sends firefighters, planes to Greece to fight wildfires near Athens
Greece's predominantly pine forests surrounding Athens are tinder-dry at the moment, presenting an extreme wildfire risk, as temperatures soar into the 100s.
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Gusts of wind up to 70km/h (45mph) push flames through scrub and forest parched by extreme heat.
July 18 (UPI) -- The European Union is sending firefighters and equipment to Greece as that country deals with a growing number of wildfires amid a record heat wave gripping the continent.
Firefighters from Belgium already are now at work on several large fires in forests around Athens, while four Canadair water bomber aircraft from Italy and France also are being deployed, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius tweeted Tuesday.
Greece's predominantly pine forests surrounding Athens are tinder-dry at the moment, presenting an extreme wildfire risk.
The assistance is provided under the EU's civil protection mechanism.
Since the weekend, Greece, Italy and other large parts of Europe have been bracing for temperatures as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit, brought on by the Cerberus heat wave.
Crews also are battling wildfires in Spain's Canary Islands and in Switzerland's mountainous terrain, too.
"Temperatures in North America, Asia, and across North Africa and the Mediterranean will be above 40 C (104 F) for a prolonged number of days," the World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday.
The soaring temperatures led Britain's Foreign Office to issue travel alerts for anyone heading to Spain or Greece.
Extreme heat forced officials in Athens to temporarily close the Acropolis this past weekend.
Forecasters predicted the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia could see temperatures up to 120 degrees this week, which would be an all-time high.
The Greek Culture Ministry announced that the Acropolis of Athens was briefly closed due to extreme heat after a tourist collapsed at the historic site on July 14.
The previous high was set in Sicily in 2021 when temperatures hit 119.84 degrees Fahrenheit.
A report out earlier this month found more than 18,000 people died as a result of extreme heat in Italy last summer, while more than 61,000 people met the same fate across the whole of Europe.
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