ATHENS: Fire brigades from Poland, Slovakia, and Romania are due to arrive in Greece on Thursday to assist local and other foreign emergency services extinguish fires near the capital, Athens, as the European Union (EU) climate authorities say the world is likely on track for its hottest July since measurements started.
The fire brigades are being deployed in Greece as part of an EU civil protection mechanism that foresees dispatching international crews to areas of southern Europe over the summer.
Israel has also announced it will send 2 firefighting planes, adding to the 4 from France and Italy, according to Western media.
The fires in Greece are being driven partially by hot summer weather, with heat in the country’s south likely to reach 44 degrees Celsius by the end of the week.
Greek authorities said that several historical places, including the Acropolis, would be closed to tourists during most of the afternoon from midday because of the new heat wave, which is likely to run till Sunday.
Security guards at the Acropolis are also striking till Sunday for 4 hours every afternoon to protest at having to work in the high temperatures.
Fire Situation
Although a fire west of Athens that caused mass evacuations earlier in the week had been extinguished, there were continued evacuations on Thursday along a highway between the capital city of Athens and Corinth.
On the island of Rhodes, a fire in a forested hilly area continues to rage, with many locals forced to flee the blaze.
Over the past week, multiple regions in southern Europe have been hit by extreme temperatures, with forecasters predicting more scorching weather to come.
Temperatures in Rome, Italy, eased slightly on Thursday after reaching 42-43 Celsius on Tuesday. The islands of Sardinia and Sicily reached 46 Celsius.
