Greece Reinforces Firefighting Forces to Tackle Massive Blaze in the Country’s Northeast 

A firefighting helicopter drops water during efforts to put out wildfire in the area of Leptokarya, Evros, northern Greece, 26 August 2023 (issued 27 August 2023). (EPA)
A firefighting helicopter drops water during efforts to put out wildfire in the area of Leptokarya, Evros, northern Greece, 26 August 2023 (issued 27 August 2023). (EPA)
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Greece Reinforces Firefighting Forces to Tackle Massive Blaze in the Country’s Northeast 

A firefighting helicopter drops water during efforts to put out wildfire in the area of Leptokarya, Evros, northern Greece, 26 August 2023 (issued 27 August 2023). (EPA)
A firefighting helicopter drops water during efforts to put out wildfire in the area of Leptokarya, Evros, northern Greece, 26 August 2023 (issued 27 August 2023). (EPA)

Greek authorities reinforced firefighting forces in the northeastern part of the country Monday, where a massive deadly wildfire was burning for a 10th day with no signs of abating.

The fire in the Alexandroupolis and Evros areas near the Turkish border has been blamed for 20 of the 21 wildfire-related deaths in Greece last week.

The fire department said 474 firefighters, backed by 100 vehicles, seven planes and two helicopters were battling the flames. The forces included reinforcements from several European countries.

Authorities are investigating what sparked the blaze, which over the past week has decimated vast tracts of forest, scorched homes and triggered the evacuation of thousands of people. The bodies of 18 people were found in an area near the city of Alexandroupolis last Tuesday, while a body had been found in a forest in the region the previous day and another was found on Thursday.

The bodies are believed to be those of migrants who recently crossed the nearby border with Türkiye. Greece’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit has been activated to identify the remains. A man also died last week in a separate fire in central Greece, reportedly while trying to save his livestock from advancing flames.

The wildfire has scorched more than 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) of land, the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service said Sunday, making it one of the largest single fires ever to have struck a European country.

Copernicus is the EU space program’s Earth observation component and uses satellite imagery to provide mapping data.

The situation at another major fire burning for days on Mount Parnitha on the northwestern fringes of Athens appeared significantly improved by Monday, although it was still not officially under control. The fire department said 260 firefighters backed by 77 vehicles, one plane and one helicopter were still fighting flare-ups in the fire which had burned homes and entered a national park that is one of the last green areas near the Greek capital.

Greece has been plagued by daily outbreaks of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combined to whip up flames and hamper firefighting efforts.

Across the country, firefighters were battling 105 wildfires on Sunday, with 46 of them having broken out in the 24 hours between Saturday evening and Sunday evening, the fire department said.

Arson has been suspected in some of the blazes, with several people arrested.

Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, limiting activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues.

By Friday, fire department officials had arrested 163 people on fire-related charges since the start of the fire prevention season, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson. The police had made a further 18 arrests, he said.

With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has called for help from other European countries. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus have sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian, Slovak and Serb firefighters are helping on the ground.



Indonesia Volcano Spews 18-kilometer Ash Tower

In photo released by Geological Agency (Badan Geologi) of the Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials during an eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, Monday, July 7, 2025. (Badan Geologi via AP)
In photo released by Geological Agency (Badan Geologi) of the Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials during an eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, Monday, July 7, 2025. (Badan Geologi via AP)
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Indonesia Volcano Spews 18-kilometer Ash Tower

In photo released by Geological Agency (Badan Geologi) of the Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials during an eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, Monday, July 7, 2025. (Badan Geologi via AP)
In photo released by Geological Agency (Badan Geologi) of the Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials during an eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, Monday, July 7, 2025. (Badan Geologi via AP)

A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Monday spewing a colossal ash tower 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky, authorities said, just weeks after it caused dozens of flight cancellations to and from the popular resort island of Bali.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584-meter-high volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 11:05 am local time (0305 GMT), the volcanology agency said in a statement.

"An eruption of Lewotobi Laki-Laki Volcano occurred... with the observed ash column height reaching approximately 18,000 m above the summit," the agency said.

It warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods –- a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials –- if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers.

There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.

Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement the activity level at the volcano was "very high, marked by explosive eruptions and continuous tremors".

He also urged residents to stay at least six kilometers (3.7 miles) away from the volcano and to wear face masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash.

Last month dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted. Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali.

There were no immediate reports of cancelled flights after Monday's eruption.

A customer service agent of airport operator InJourney Airports told AFP that Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport was still operating normally despite the eruption.

Indonesia's transport ministry and airport operator did not immediately respond to an AFP comment request.

Laki-Laki, which means man in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703-metre (5,587-foot) volcano named Perempuan, after the Indonesian word for woman.