HUNDREDS of terrified tourists have been evacuated from beaches as a “wall of flames” menaced two popular resorts.
Petrifying infernos threatened multiple busy beaches sparking 500 holidaymakers – some in their swimwear – to urgently flee into the sea via emergency boats in Greece.
Around 500 tourists fled the beaches as a wall of fire struck two popular resorts Credit: Reuters
Locals and tourists evacuate by boat from the seaside town of Siviri Credit: Reuters
Water-bombing planes, helicopters and more than 200 firefighters battled for hours to stop the flames spreading across the Halkidiki peninsula, south of the city of Thessaloniki.
Local media say a 3km “wall of flames” that roared up to 30 meters high was closing in on the resorts.
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Desperate tourists – some with small children in their arms – were taken out to sea while crews tackle the blaze on Thursday.
Wearing protective face masks and holding their pets, residents also boarded the dinghies and small boats in the coastal region of Siviri as flames consumed nearby forests and thick gray smoke filled the clear skies.
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The intense blaze erupted at a highly flammable forest Credit: AFP
Waterbombing planes were deployed to tackle the blaze Credit: AFP
Sophia, a homeowner in the region who only gave her first name, said: “We are on the beach and looking for a way to get away,
“From where we are, we can see that flames have reached the town and the houses.”
The region is dominated by flammable pine forests where the blaze is thought to have erupted, with firefighters saying strong winds made battling the blaze harder.
Within hours of erupting, the fire bore down on homes around the popular resorts of Siviri and Fourka, which were packed with summer travellers.
Firefighters desperately work to extinguish a wildfire fanned by strong winds Credit: Reuters
Greece’s civil protection agency sent evacuation warnings by phone Credit: AFP
Dozens queued on a pontoon at Fourka waiting to flee as smoke blotted out the sky over the resorts, according to images broadcast by ERT.
Cars frantically trying to leave Fourka and Siviri caused traffic jams in the area.
Two injured firefighters were rushed to hospital.
Greece’s civil protection agency initially sent evacuation warnings by phone to people in the two resorts.
The sky turned dark as the fires burnt Credit: Reuters
Locals and tourists fled to the safety of the sea Credit: EPA
After extensive action, the blaze was later brought under control according to the regional civil protection chief.
Crews remain on scene, alert for any potential flare ups.
Prior to the blaze Halkidiki authorities had banned the public from entering the region’s pine forests.
The Greek authorities had also issued a maximum five alert for fires for much of the Greek mainland.
Already this month, two crew from a helicopter helping to battle a forest fire near Athens died when their aircraft collided with another helicopter in mid-air.
The fire destroyed 110 square kilometres (42 square miles) of forest.
Earlier this month wildfires raged across Greece with a large fire tearing though the west of Athens prompting evacuations.
The fire at the capital city gutted homes and burnt through farmland and pine forest, forcing emergency evacuations by land and sea.
