Tourists flee blazes in Greece as fire hits bomb-riddled forest in Germany

Tourists in Greece are being forced to evacuate forest fires via fishing boats as high temperatures continue to grip Western Europe. A massive 3km-long wall of flames, up to 30 meters high, is rapidly approaching resorts on Greece's Halkidiki peninsula, south of Thessaloniki. Nearly 500 tourists, including children, were evacuated by sea in small boats, with fire service spokesman Giannis Artopios emphasizing the urgency of the operation to prevent further damage.

Greece has experienced numerous fires this year, with 40 reported incidents, including nine currently uncontrolled. Heatwaves this summer have exacerbated the situation, drying out vegetation and straining water supplies, which has led to devastating wildfires across Spain, France, and Greece. In Germany, over 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes on Friday morning as a wildfire near the Belgian border threatened the village of Gey.

The flames were only 300 meters away from the village, as reported by regional broadcaster WDR. Unexploded World War II ammunition in the vicinity poses an additional hazard, with occasional detonations heard during the firefighting efforts. Meanwhile, London experienced its hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 38.1°C, surpassing the previous record set just a week earlier.

Firefighters in central England are battling multiple blazes, with houses destroyed in the West Midlands, according to mayor Richard Parker, who described the situation as "extremely worrying and fast-moving." In Croatia, a wildfire in the seaside town of Lokva Rogoznica near Split has injured 19 people and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents and tourists.

Fire chief Slavko Tucakovic described the blaze as the worst in the country's history, noting that strong winds rapidly spread the fire overnight, causing extensive damage to numerous buildings and vehicles. In France, fires have intensified once again in the southwestern Les Landes region, consuming over 1,000 hectares of land and pushing temperatures past the 40°C mark, similar to previous major fires that led to the evacuation of 220,000 people earlier in the month.