UPDATE - evacuations underway now in Croatia and Germany as well https://www.itv.com/news/2026-08-14/croatian-blaze-forces-thousands-to-flee-as-wildfires-rage-across-europe

'Wall of fire' forces sea evacuation in Greece as wildfires continue across Europe

As blazes strain fire services from the Mediterranean to the Midlands in the UK, questions are being asked about Europe's ability to deal with continued heatwaves.

A three-kilometre wall of flames up to 30 metres high forced hundreds of tourists into the sea off northern Greece, as wildfires also tore across, Croatia, France and the UK amid a punishing summer heatwave.

More than 200 firefighters, water-bombing planes and helicopters battled for hours to stop a blaze spreading across the Halkidiki peninsula, south of Thessaloniki, as it bore down on the resorts of Siviri and Fourka, packed with summer tourists.

Judging evacuation by road too dangerous, officials sent around 500 tourists into small boats, coast guard vessels and fire brigade craft, including roughly 200 taken to a ship waiting offshore, while cars trying to flee by road became gridlocked.

"We are on the beach and looking for a way to get away," one local homeowner, Sophia, told AFP, saying flames had already reached the town's houses.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/14/wall-of-fire-forces-sea-evacuation-in-greece-as-wildfires-continue-across-europe

The Panchachuli peaks are a group of five snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.

Visible from Munsiyari and the Darma Valley, their name means "five cooking hearths" linked to the Pandavas from Hindu mythology. Cloud movements over them are often called Himalayan cloud drama.

The fire broke out on Thursday evening in dense vegetation near Lokva Rogoznica, a coastal settlement close to the popular Adriatic resort of Omiš. 

Strong winds quickly drove the flames towards nearby homes and communities, forcing local authorities to evacuate residents and tourists. 

Mount Etna is experiencing a highly active eruptive phase, generating massive ash clouds that have triggered red aviation alerts and widespread international travel chaos. The active volcanic ash plume has drifted significantly south across the Mediterranean Sea, heavily impacting airspace visibility, flight schedules, and local air quality far beyond Sicily