Large-scale forest fires rage in Greece and Turkey – photos, videos

At the end of July, large-scale forest fires engulfed Turkey and Greece, and the authorities announced evacuations from some areas due to the threat to the population. This was reported by the TV channel BBC and the agency Associated Press.

Greece continues to battle five major wildfires across the country amid intense heat, and extreme temperatures are expected to continue. On Sunday, the temperature will reach +44 degrees.

Fire brigade spokesman Vassilios Vatrakoyannis said the situation had improved after a "night of fighting" but warned that the risk of more fires on Sunday remained "extremely dangerous".

Greek Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Yannis Kefalogiannis previously stated: "We have injured firefighters, human lives have been endangered, property has been burned and forests have been destroyed".

Strong winds continued to fan the flames on Sunday. Greece has officially requested six firefighting aircraft from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism.

On Kythira, the fire spread rapidly after it broke out on Saturday morning in the village of Pitsinades. According to preliminary estimates, about 20% of the island was affected by the fire.

New evacuation warnings were issued on Sunday, ordering residents of several villages to leave the area.

The fire that broke out on Saturday in Attica, 30 km from Athens, is spreading rapidly. Although the main fire has been contained, 200 firefighters continue to work in the area with the support of helicopters and airplanes. Evacuations are underway in the region.

On the island of Evia, officials say a fire near Pissona "got out of control" on Saturday. Six firefighters were taken to the hospital with burns and smoke poisoning, and several villages were left without electricity.

Greece's neighbor Turkey is also suffering from wildfires. The fire is threatening Bursa, the country's fourth-largest city, forcing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and killing a firefighter.

The flames engulfed 3000 hectares of land around the city. The highway connecting Bursa to Ankara was closed due to the burning of the surrounding forests.

Turkish Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said firefighters across the country were battling 84 separate fires on Saturday. According to him, the biggest threat is to the northwest of the country, including Karabuk, where wildfires have been raging since Tuesday.

Unusually high temperatures, dry weather and strong winds fuel wildfires.

In the country, 14 people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers.

Uludağ'dan çekilen Bursa yangını. pic.twitter.com/as8CEJJLJO

- Pusholder (@pusholder) July 26, 2025

Şu görüntü karşısında gözleriniz dolmuyor, içiniz yanmıyor, öfke yutkunmanıza engel olmuyorsa cidden insanlığınızı sorgulayın....Yanıyor Yeşil Bursa #bursayanıyor pic.twitter.com/q0PsaqyJ9P

- Gazoz kapağı♠️ (@kalimbayk7) July 26, 2025

• At the end of May, a state of emergency was declared in the Canadian province of Manitoba due to large-scale forest fires that swept through the central and western regions. Authorities announced the evacuation of 17,000 people.