Hundreds of people have been forced to flee their homes in Greece as firefighters struggle for days now with huge, uncontrolled wildfires.
Evia (Euboea), the country’s second-largest island and a popular tourist destination, was evacuated by boat on Sunday.
With many homes and power lines completely destroyed, the devastation is widespread.
At least 2,000 people have been evacuated from the area so far.
While Evia burns with an intensity unmatched by any other site around the country, smaller blazes continue to spring up across the country.
The fires are the result of one of the most severe heatwaves in 30 years, with temperatures reaching a staggering 45C (113F).
With heatwaves becoming increasingly common due to human-induced climate change, the subsequent hot, dry weather is likely to fuel wildfires.
Civil Protection Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias said on Sunday:
“We have ahead of us another difficult evening, another difficult night, On Evia we have two major fire fronts, one in the north and one in the south”.
“The situation around the capital Athens had improved”.
“We are afraid of the danger of flare-ups” he warned.
Hundreds of firefighters and army personnel have been deployed to Evia, where 17 planes and helicopters are assisting the effort.
Since Tuesday, the coastguard has evacuated more than 2,000 people from the island. Dramatic footage showed ferries full of evacuees surrounded by a burning landscape.
“I feel anger. I lost my home… nothing will be the same,” Local Resident Vasilikia tells Reuters as she boards a rescue ferry on Sunday.
“It’s a disaster. It’s huge. Our villages are destroyed, there is nothing left from our homes,” she added.
Authorities warn that the risk of more fire remains high in many regions, including Athens and Crete.
Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has warned that the country could face a “nightmarish summer” of continuous forest fires.
The last 10 days have seen 56 thousand hectares (140,000 acres) of land burned in Greece according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
On Saturday, north of Athens, a fire on Mount Parnitha spread smoke across the capital. Authorities set up an emergency hotline for people with breathing difficulties, according to the Associated Press.
Thousands of people were evacuated from the area but thankfully, the flames have receded.
However, with strong winds forecast, there are concerns that the fire could flare up once more.
A number of counties were offering support to Greece, The UK, France, Romania and Switzerland have all sent firefighters to the country.
