Heavy Lightning Triggers Wildfires on Greek Island of Thassos

A view of fire around the island of Kos, Greece, July 1, 2024, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. ALAN BOYLE/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
A view of fire around the island of Kos, Greece, July 1, 2024, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. ALAN BOYLE/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
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Heavy Lightning Triggers Wildfires on Greek Island of Thassos

A view of fire around the island of Kos, Greece, July 1, 2024, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. ALAN BOYLE/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
A view of fire around the island of Kos, Greece, July 1, 2024, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. ALAN BOYLE/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

Heavy lightning triggered two fires on the Greek island of Thassos on Wednesday, the fire brigade said, a day after firefighting forces tamed wildfires fanned by unusually strong winds on two other islands.

More than 32 firefighters assisted by 13 fire engines, one aircraft and two helicopters were trying to put out the flames devouring forest land on two fronts on the island in the northern Aegean Sea 306 km (190 miles) north of Athens.

Reinforcements from the nearby city of Kavala were expected during the day, Reuters reported.

Wildfires have become more common and devastating in Greece in recent years because of climate change, scientists say, frequently disrupting summer tourism as millions flock to the country's islands.

Rainfall would normally be a blessing in areas that have not seen a drop in months, but the accompanying lightening made things worse on Thassos.

Greece's civil protection service has warned of more freak weather on Wednesday and Thursday, saying storms with a high frequency of lightning and hail were expected. Central and northern Greece would be most affected.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned this week of a dangerous summer of wildfires following a prolonged drought and unusually high gusts of wind for the season.

Last year, forest fires killed 20 people in the north of the country and forced 19,000 people to flee the island of Rhodes.

To locate blazes early, the Mediterranean country is increasingly using drones that help monitor forest land.

About 240 fire fighters from countries including Bulgaria, Malta, Moldova and Romania will reinforce Greece's firefighting forces from July until September, the civil protection ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.



Dozens of Zoo Tigers Die after Contracting Bird Flu in Vietnam

Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)
Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)
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Dozens of Zoo Tigers Die after Contracting Bird Flu in Vietnam

Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)
Tigers are kept in cages at Dong Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Phuoc Tuan/VNExpress via AP)

More than a dozen tigers were incinerated after the animals contracted bird flu at a zoo in southern Vietnam, officials said.
State media VNExpress cited a caretaker at Vuon Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city saying the animals were fed with raw chicken bought from nearby farms, The Associated Press reported. The panther and 20 tigers, including several cubs, weighed between 10 and 120 kilograms when they died. The bodies were incinerated and buried on the premises.
“The tigers died so fast. They looked weak, refused to eat and died after two days of falling sick,” said zoo manager Nguyen Ba Phuc.
Samples taken from the tigers tested positive for H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu.
The virus was first identified in 1959 and grew into a widespread and highly lethal menace to migratory birds and domesticated poultry. It has since evolved, and in recent years H5N1 was detected in a growing number of animals ranging from dogs and cats to sea lions and polar bears.
In cats, scientists have found the virus attacking the brain, damaging and clotting blood vessels and causing seizures and death.
More than 20 other tigers were isolated for monitoring. The zoo houses some 3,000 other animals including lions, bears, rhinos, hippos and giraffes.
The 30 staff members who were taking care of the tigers tested negative for bird flu and were in normal health condition, VNExpress reported. Another outbreak also occurred at a zoo in nearby Long An province, where 27 tigers and 3 lions died within a week in September, the newspaper said.
Unusual flu strains that come from animals are occasionally found in people. Health officials in the United States said Thursday that two dairy workers in California were infected — making 16 total cases detected in the country in 2024.
“The deaths of 47 tigers, three lions, and a panther at My Quynh Safari and Vuon Xoai Zoo amid Vietnam’s bird flu outbreak are tragic and highlight the risks of keeping wild animals in captivity,” PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.
“The exploitation of wild animals also puts global human health at risk by increasing the likelihood of another pandemic,” Baker said.
Bird flu has caused hundreds of deaths around the world, the vast majority of them involving direct contact between people and infected birds.