(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, JUL 25 - Greek firefighters on Monday
battled a raging fire threatening the Dadia National Park, known
for its black vulture colony, as the country scorched under a
blistering heatwave. The Mediterranean country is reeling under
a heatwave that began on Saturday and is expected to last 10
days. Temperatures were set to rise to 42 degrees Celsius (107
degrees Fahrenheit) in some regions and the country is battling
three major wildfires. Scientists say human-induced climate
change is amplifying extreme weather -- including the heatwaves,
droughts and floods seen in several parts of the planet in
recent weeks -- and say these events will become more frequent
and more intense. On Monday, 320 firefighters, two water-bombing
planes and four helicopters were deployed to contain the fire at
the Dadia park, which broke out on Thursday. Some villages in
the area have been evacuated. The flames have already destroyed
nearly 500 hectares (1,220 acres) of woodland. Dadia is one of
the most important protected areas in Europe, offers ideal
habitat for rare birds and is home to the only breeding
population of black vultures in the Balkans. It hosts three out
of the four vulture species of Europe -- the black vulture, the
griffon vulture and the Egyptian vulture -- and 36 of Europe's
38 species of raptors. (ANSA-AFP).
© Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved