In Greece, Fires Kill Dozens, Driving Some Into the Sea

[TomSea]

In Greece, Fires Kill Dozens, Driving Some Into the Sea

Fast-spreading wildfires have engulfed entire seaside towns in Greece, killing multiple people and injuring many others. The death toll is expected to rise.Published OnJuly 24, 2018CreditImage by Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters

ATHENS — Fast-moving wildfires near Athens have killed at least 74 people, officials said on Tuesday, and have forced thousands of tourists and residents to flee in cars and buses, on foot, aboard boats and on makeshift rafts. In desperation, some people plunged into the Aegean waters and tried to swim to safety.

Gale-force winds topping 50 miles an hour have fanned a pair of fires that tore through seaside areas popular with travelers, leaving behind a trail of charred resorts, burned-out cars and smoldering farms, and wrapping the region in a pall of smoke. Officials said that at least 187 people were injured, including 23 children.

Many evacuation routes were blocked, and people who did manage to escape by road had to drive through choking smoke, sometimes with walls of flame leaping through trees just yards away.

Read more at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/world/europe/greece-fire-deaths.html

Some natural disaster is happening elsewhere, they often do not get posted. I will try to do so.

* If this is qualifies as a natural disaster I guess.  It's pretty bad.

Other countries offer assistance: https://112.international/society/ukraine-ready-to-assist-greece-with-putting-out-forest-fires-pm-says-30525.html

[TomSea]

Wild fires trigger evacuations near Athens
! No longer available

https://www.b92.net/eng/news/region.php?yyyy=2018&mm=07&dd=24&nav_id=104695

[the_doc]

If this is qualifies as a natural disaster I guess.  It's pretty bad.

Mueller needs to look into this.

[XenaLee]

Gale-force winds topping 50 miles an hour have fanned a pair of fires ....

The two largest wildfires — one 30 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Athens near Rafina, the other 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the capital in Kineta ...

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/twin-wildfires-athens-kill-24-gut-vacation-resorts-56773191

Are we so shock-sure that it is a "natural" disaster?   Seems odd that a fire would start in two different places (ie twin fires reference) at the same time.

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/forest-fire-jihad-being-threatened-on-terrorist-websites/

[thackney]

Are we so shock-sure that it is a "natural" disaster?   Seems odd that a fire would start in two different places (ie twin fires reference) at the same time.

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/forest-fire-jihad-being-threatened-on-terrorist-websites/

Around 100 miles apart...

[goatprairie]

The wife and I spent a few days in Greece last May.  Beautiful, mountainous country.  Many of the mountains are heavily forested. A number even have fire breaks, but I guess they can't stop all fires from spreading.

[TomSea]

Officials want drones to look for arsonists.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/greece-wildfires-least-24-people-killed-dozens-injured-holiday-resorts-near-athens-061453577.html

And since, apparently, this is an older story, not to be confused, the present number of killed is listed at 74.

[Frank Cannon]

Geez. No wonder this is out of control. Everyone knows not to put water on a Greece fire. It just makes the situation worse. What a bunch of dumb idiots.

[DB]

Terrorists with drones could start massive fires over large areas deep in hard to access places so that by the time they reach accessible areas they are huge fires.

Brave new world.

[thackney]

Geez. No wonder this is out of control. Everyone knows not to put water on a Greece fire. It just makes the situation worse. What a bunch of dumb idiots.

 

[the_doc]

Geez. No wonder this is out of control. Everyone knows not to put water on a Greece fire. It just makes the situation worse. What a bunch of dumb idiots.

Once again, you came through for us on a dumb thread.

[DB]

Geez. No wonder this is out of control. Everyone knows not to put water on a Greece fire. It just makes the situation worse. What a bunch of dumb idiots.

Put a lid on it Frank.