Greece is fighting a ton of wildfires right now because it’s super hot.
ATHENS, Greece – August 13, 2025:Across Greece, almost 5,000 firefighters and over 30 planes are trying to put out a bunch of wildfires. Strong winds and a long heatwave are making things way worse. These fires started at least a week ago, and lots of people, including tourists, are being told to leave. Sadly, some homes are gone, and at least one person died in a town near Athens. Greece is asking the European Union for help because this is a huge deal.
Bad Fires Everywhere
The worst fires seem to be in Patras, a city in western Greece. The flames are wrecking olive trees and forests, getting close to the city. People are being told to get out of Kato Achaia and nearby towns, so thousands are leaving. A factory near Patras is on fire, and trains aren’t running.
Big fires are also burning on the islands of Zakynthos and Chios, which are popular with tourists, and up in Preveza. On Zakynthos, firefighters might need to move tourists if the wind keeps up. On Chios, the coast guard had to rescue people from a small port because the smoke and fire were right there.
These fires really got going at the start of August when someone unfortunately died near Keratea, close to Athens. His body was found in a burned building. It’s been a tough time since then because the weather is so bad.
Crazy Weather is to Blame
It’s like everything bad is happening at once. Crazy winds, almost 90 km/h, are blowing the fire around, making it hard for firefighters to do anything. The winds are making the fires spread really fast.
Plus, it’s been super hot for a while, so everything is dry and burns fast. The weather people say there’s a high fire danger in lots of places. That means even a little spark can cause a big problem.
What the Government Is Doing
The people in charge of climate stuff are trying to handle things. They’re sending out alerts to phones telling people to leave if they need to. Firefighters are dealing with over 100 fires, and tons more start every day.
Because things are so busy, Greece has asked the EU for assistance. They need more planes that can drop water on the fires. The government wants to put out the fires and keep everyone safe.
Trying to Figure Out What Started the Fires
The police are trying to figure out how the fires started. The weather is bad, but so many fires at once seems fishy. Some detectives are checking around because they think some of the fires might have been started on purpose.
One fire near Athens might have been started by a bad electrical cable. Two workers might be in trouble because they didn’t take care of the cable that started the fire.
What It Means for People and the Environment
Sadly, one person is dead, and over a dozen firefighters are hurt. Many people are in the hospital because they breathed in too much smoke. Thousands have had to leave their homes.
It’s also really bad for the environment. A lot of land has burned this year, way more than usual. Forests and farms are gone.
The long-term bad stuff includes the dirt washing away, animals losing their homes, and more pollution. If there aren’t trees and plants, there’s a bigger chance of floods in the future.
This Has Happened Before
Greece often has fires in the summer because it’s hot and dry. But experts say that these fires are getting worse because the world is getting warmer. It’s been really hot lately, and that’s part of a pattern of bad weather happening around the world.
The Prime Minister of Greece has said that it feels like a war and that it’s because of climate change. Other countries in Europe are also having problems with fires and heat.
These fires are really hard on countries because they cost a lot of money, especially for places that depend on tourists. We need to work together to stop fires from happening and invest in new ways to fight them. We’re going to have to figure out how to live with the dangers of climate change.
