Greek fires - 11th August 2021

Many people from the Greek island of Evia have had to leave. The island is experiencing very high temperatures. This has caused huge fires on the island.

Both Greece and Turkey have had huge fires and high temperatures for two weeks. In Turkey, recent rains have helped, but Greece has had no rain and the temperature is rising.

The huge fires have burnt homes and large areas of land.

Konstantinos Triantafyllou: "They burned us, they burned a paradise. They have no shame!"

Other countries have started sending help to Greece. But locals are angry. They believe the government hasn't done enough.

Giannis Selimis: "We are in a tragic situation. We are left in God's hands. We do whatever we can with our own means. The state is absent."

The hilly land and thick forest make the fires grow faster. This is challenging for firefighters.

Hundreds of residents, young and old, have escaped the island on boats ready to take people to safety.

Many retired people, like Louisa, are worried that there'll be nothing left when they return to the island.

Louisa: "People lived off the forests, the crops, the olives, raising livestock and tourism. None of that is left now."