Hundreds of tourists were evacuated via a fleet of small boats from various beaches in northern Greece Thursday afternoon, 13 August. It wasn't just chaos on the ground and at sea as water-bombing planes and helicopters also tried to control the fire from above to prevent the spread of fire across the Halkidiki peninsula.
Even with 150 firefighters and some air support, the wildfires could not be stopped as they raged over homes in the popular resorts of Siviri and Fourka. Locals and tourists flocked to the beaches as Europe continues to bake during the summer. Many of those rescued were in their swimming attire.
