In Greece, nine people are rescued after wildfires burn on the island of Lesbos and threaten the resort town of Vatera amid a heat wave in the country.
The Oak Fire in Mariposa County, California, U.S., grows to over 6,555 acres near the Yosemite National Park, with 10 homes destroyed.
The 2022 California wildfire season is an ongoing series of wildfires burning throughout the U.S. state of California. As of 18 July 2022, a total of 4,408 fires have been recorded, totaling approximately 35,135 acres (14,219 ha) across the state. Peak fire season is not expected until late summer and/or fall. The 2022 season follows the 2020 and 2021 California wildfire seasons, which had the highest and second-highest (respectively) numbers of acres burned in the historical record. A wildfire that started in mountainous forests on the Greek island of Lesbos near Turkey on Saturday burned properties at the beach resort of Vatera as more aircraft joined firefighting efforts.
In June and July 2022, parts of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa were affected by wildfires resulting from heat waves. The bulk of the fires affected Mediterranean Countries, with the main areas affected being France, Greece, Portugal and Spain. A wildfire which started in the mountainous forests of the Aegean island of Lesbos is threatening the resort town of Vatera, a 5-mile strip of sandy beaches. Nine people were rescued by a coast guard boat when they were trapped on the beach after the fire erupted Saturday morning. Fire-fighters, volunteers, local residents and business owners all pitched in to battle the flames, which in some places reached right down to the sea. Strong winds contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.