here tonight, the fires burn and burnin here tonight, the fires burn and burn in this parched landscape. the area is full of thick smoke. we have seen fire crews going along this road, trying to get there. the greek prime minister says there are more than 600 wildfires that have affected greece in recent weeks. for the people here in evia tonight, there is hope, a hope that these fires will finally be brought under control because the wind has died down tonight but for the firefighters here, it is going to be a long, difficult and gruelling night. bethany bell, thank you. in november, britain will host a key climate conference cop26 in glasgow, where it hopes to persuade the international community to sign up to meaningful measures to reduce greenhouse gases. the uk has already committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by almost three quarters by 2035, compared with 1990 levels. here s our political
so we urgently need to get ready. david shukman, bbc news. greece is continuing to battle raging wildfires on the country s second largest island evia. the fires have been burning for a week after the most severe heatwave in 30 years. tonight, the greek prime minister said they were facing a natural disaster of unprecedented dimensions, and it was obvious the climate crisis was now knocking on the door of the entire planet. more than 600 firefighters, some of them from the uk, are trying to control blazing forests which have destroyed homes and businesses. from where our europe correspondent bethany bell reports. fires rage on in evia. it s been a week and they re still not under control here. greece is experiencing its worst heatwave in decades. the searing temperatures and scorching winds mean these forests are like a tinderbox.
0ur europe correspondent bethany bell is on the greek island of evia. here in the northern part of evia, firefighters are struggling to bring the blaze is under control. villages have been evacuated and people are poised possibly to evacuate more places. the air is full of acrid smoke and the smell of burning. i don t know if you can see, the sky is a strange grey colour. it is not cloud, it is smoke and it stings your eyes and some people say they are having trouble breathing. it is are having trouble breathing. it is a very, very serious situation here. the government says it is doing all it can to try to improve the situation, to bring people to safety. local people that we have spoken to here, say they feel
across greece in recent days. the prime minister says climate change is to blame. translation: it is obvious that l a climate crisis is now knocking| on the door of the entire planet, with fires that last weeks. this is a reason but it s not an excuse nor an alibi, and i will say it clearly we may have done whatever is humanly possible, but in many cases it did not appear to be enough in the unequal battle with nature. in some areas of evia, the fires only stopped when they reached the sea. many locals say they ve been abandoned. they say the authorities haven t done enough to protect the forests and their homes. and with temperatures rising, there are fears of more wildfires like this in the years to come. bethany bell, bbc news, evia. meanwhile, a huge wildfire in northern california is now the second largest in the state s
translation: climate change in my opinion l is hurting the entire planet, and especially this forest. the authorities certainly have not handled this very well, but the fire was our destiny. no one could have put it out. dozens of wildfires have broken out across greece in recent days. the prime minister says climate change is to blame. translation: we have an obligation to save the country from climate change. i am not looking for excuses, we have made important strides in organising the country, but that is not enough when we are faced with a phenomenon of such magnitude. in some areas, the fires only stopped when they reached the sea. many locals on evia say they have been abandoned.