Ongoing Wildfires in Greece , Threaten Athens and Drive Steep , Increase in Carbon Emissions.<br />On July 27, wildfires reached the edges <br />of Athens, Greece, as strong winds <br />drove flare-ups across the country.<br />Fox News reports that the widespread <br />wildfires come amid a two-week <br />heat wave, which has left five people dead.<br />The fast-moving fires have triggered a massive <br />evacuation of tourists on the island of Rhodes.<br />On the outskirts of Athens, water-dropping <br />helicopters were deployed, along with ground crews, <br />to put out a blaze in Kifissia, just north of the capital. .<br />Fox News reports that near the central city <br />of Volos, wildfires forced stretches of Greece's <br />most-traveled highways to close for several hours. .<br />National rail services throughout the area <br />were also temporarily suspended. .<br />Firefighters have reportedly been battling fires <br />in Rhodes for ten consecutive days, while new fires <br />have also started on the island of Evia.<br />According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, <br />Greece's wildfire carbon emissions this month are the highest <br />since records began 20 years ago, totaling over 1 metric megaton. .<br />Unfortunately, it is not all that <br />surprising, given the extreme <br />conditions in the region. , Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus <br />Atmosphere Monitoring Service, via Fox News.<br />The observed intensity and estimated <br />emissions show how unusual the scale <br />of the fires have been for July <br />relative to the last 20 years of data, Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus <br />Atmosphere Monitoring Service, via Fox News
