- Explosions Rock Greek Air Force Base Amid Wildfires
- Residents Flee as Ammunition Depot Erupts in Flames
- Greece Faces Ongoing Fire Crisis with Minister’s Resignation
On Thursday, wildfires exploded an ammo store, requiring a security zone around a Greek air force base.
133 Nea Anchialos people fled the sea as shock waves were sensed miles away.
The base is home to the 111th Combat Wing of Greece, and F-16s flew to another base as a precaution.
The depot storing F-16 missiles and bombs is located 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the aircraft and airstrip.
As the wildfire approached the western end of the base on Thursday evening, police erected a perimeter and the area was jolted by a series of powerful explosions, including a dramatic one heard at 19:18 (16:18 GMT).
No one was injured, but windows were shattered in Nea Anchialos, and residents of several nearby villages were evacuated when church bells sounded out.
Volos, located some distance up the coast of the Magnesia region, felt the seismic waves. A significant wine cooperative near Nea Anchialos was destroyed by fire.
Greece’s two-week fire disaster drove thousands of tourists and residents to evacuate some of the country’s most popular tourist attractions.
Citizen Protection Minister Notis Mitarakis resigned for “personal reasons” due to the ongoing crisis. According to Greek media, the minister was on a yacht on Patmos.
The coast guard and private vessels transported residents to safety via land and sea during the afternoon hours.
The Greek daily Kathimerini said that the ammo storage building was so crowded that its fire prevention systems failed.
The overwhelming volume of explosives rendered the system ineffective, according to the paper, and the exploding munitions may have overheated rather than coming into direct contact with the fires.
The fire has been extinguished and coolant has been sprayed on the ammunition depot by air force and fire personnel. The F-16 aircraft was transported to the Larissa headquarters of a different combat squadron.
Later, the 111 Combat Wing base, which houses scores of F-16s, was deemed secure. Officials said missiles and ammunition may have spread far and remain active, making the situation severe.
Ioannis Artopoios, a spokesman for the fire department, stated that personnel at the air force base were prepared for this type of emergency: “That is why they were able to evacuate the base so quickly and fly the aircraft to nearby airports.”
On Friday, the Greek fire service reported that conditions were beginning to improve following three deaths and 74 injuries caused by raging flames in central Greece and on the islands of Rhodes, Corfu, and Evia.
“After 15 days of extreme weather phenomena and 10 days with over 600 fires, today is the first day we are not in a critical state of alert,” stated Vassilis Kikilias, minister of climate crisis and civil protection.
Temperatures have dropped slightly across Greece, but there are strong, gusty winds.
As the ground in many afflicted areas is still hot and smoldering, even though many fires have been extinguished, firefighters are concerned that the winds could spark new blazes.
Mr. Kikilias stated that the government would do “what is necessary” to alleviate afflicted areas and would take corrective action if errors or deficiencies were discovered.
“The climate crisis will not go away, and we must adjust our policies on all levels,” he stated at a news conference.
A Canadair water-bomber fighting a fire on Evia crashed Tuesday, killing both pilots.
Christos Moulas’s funeral took place in Crete on Friday. The Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Moulas’ pregnant widow attended the funeral.
Periklis Stefanidis, his 27-year-old colleague, was buried on Thursday in his birthplace of Kilkis. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and an air force detachment attended the funeral.
As firefighters battle a fire on the island of Ciovo near Split, water-bombing aircraft have also been deployed in Croatia.
Approximately 150 firefighters fought against strong winds, and two individuals were reportedly arrested for the fire. As of Friday morning, the fire was reportedly under control.
The World Meteorological Organisation and the EU’s Copernicus climate change programme (C3S) predict the warmest month ever.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned Thursday that “the era of global boiling” had begun, ending global warming.
Prof. Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organisation, stated that the extreme weather that afflicted tens of millions of people in July is the harsh reality of climate change and a glimpse into the future.
