Climate change

Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations Across Greece and Turkey

JUL 28 2025·Updated JUL 29 2025

Story

Above: A forest fire in Kryoneri, Greece on July 26, 2025. Image credit: Costas Baltas/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Facts

Thousands of people in Greece and Turkey were forced to evacuate their homes on Sunday as wildfires spread rapidly across multiple regions, fueled by strong winds and extreme heat that reached temperatures exceeding 40 C for seven consecutive days.
guardian
Breitbart
Turkey recorded its highest temperature in history at 50.5 C in Sirnak province on Friday, surpassing the previous record of 49.5 C set in August 2023, while Greece saw temperatures reach 45.8 C in Messinia.
Daily Mail
The Independent
More than 50 wildfires erupted across Greece within 24 hours over the weekend, with major blazes affecting the islands of Kythera, Evia and Crete, as well as areas near Athens including Kryoneri and Drosopigi.
The Washington Post
Daily Mirror
The Times (UK)
In Turkey, thousands of firefighters battled over 80 separate blazes that broke out within a single day. As of Monday, over 3,500 people were evacuated from villages near Bursa, the country's fourth-largest city.
CNN
FOX News
The Times (UK)
A firefighter died of a heart attack while battling blazes in Bursa, bringing Turkey's wildfire death toll to 14 people, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed earlier in the week.
guardian
Daily Mirror
Greece formally requested assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for six firefighting aircraft, while Czech firefighters and Italian water-bombers joined emergency response teams to help contain the blazes.
BBC News
Daily Sabah

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The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

These devastating wildfires represent a clear manifestation of climate change's accelerating impact on Mediterranean regions. The record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented fire intensity demonstrate how human-induced climate change is making summers hotter, longer, and more destructive. Greece and Turkey are experiencing what scientists call a "wildfire hotspot" phenomenon, where traditional fire seasons are extending and blazes are becoming more frequent and severe.

Reuters

The New York Times

Climate-skeptic narrative

Blaming climate change for every wildfire obscures the truth: the majority of fires are started by humans — through negligence, arson, or poor land use. Meanwhile, global wildfire frequency has actually declined in some regions, and historic fires were often far worse. What’s changed is mismanagement: suppressed natural burns, fuel buildup, and flammable reforestation choices have turned forests into tinderboxes. Smart land stewardship — not climate alarmism — is key to reducing wildfire severity.