Tourists flee as Greek wildfire hits resort; Croatia also fights blaze

Tourists and residents fled villages in the Halkidiki region of northern Greece by land and sea on ​Thursday as a wildfire fanned by strong winds engulfed houses and ‌trees near a resort during the heart of holiday season.

Heavy gusts also made firefighting difficult on Croatia's popular Dalmatian coast, where a stretch of major highway was shut due to ​a blaze in the Lokva Rogoznica area south of the town of ​Omis, local media reported.

Across Europe, successive heatwaves this summer have intensified ⁠drought, strained water supplies and left vegetation tinder-dry, helping wildfires in Spain, France, ​Greece scorch near unprecedented amounts of land.

In Greece, people wearing face masks, some ​clutching children or pets, boarded dingies and boats in the seaside town of Siviri as the fire ate through a forest and large columns of smoke turned the cloudless sky a ​dark gray.

As the blaze approached from inland, flames charred holiday apartments and their ​sea-facing balconies.

The coast guard said that more than 300 people have been evacuated by boat from ‌Siviri, ⁠which sits on a picturesque peninsular of woodland, olive groves and beaches south of Greece's second city Thessaloniki.

Patrol and fire boats and fishing vessels were involved in the operation, it said in a statement.

More than 140 firefighters were deployed to ​battle flames raging on ​both sides of ⁠the main road from Siviri to the town of Kassandreia.

Nine aircraft and seven helicopters were also deployed, the fire ​brigade said in a statement posted on X.

One firefighter was ​injured and ⁠traffic has been stopped.

"Our effort is focused on extinguishing the fire and the safe transport of people," fire brigade spokesman Giannis Artopios told Protothema news portal.

In Croatia, local ⁠media ​reports showed flames leaping amongst trees surrounding a ​main road and in built up coastal areas.

Evacuations are underway, the reports said, quoting the fire department.

- Reuters %MCEPASTEBIN%