Greek summer wildfire threat nears, outpacing plans to contain it

Smoke from smoke grenades rise through the forest during a disaster risk training excercise to effectively deal with wildfires, in Athens, Greece, April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi

ATHENS (Reuters) - When firefighters arrived at a blaze in a pine forest on the Greek island of Rhodes last July, flames were already leaping above the trees into the night sky. The volunteers needed to act fast, but dense vegetation on the forest floor blocked access.

With crews unable to get close, the fire spread and within days had engulfed the Mediterranean island, forcing 19,000 people to flee - one of the biggest disaster evacuations in Greece's history.