A large wildfire near Xylokastro in eastern Corinthia, Peloponnese, that started on Sunday and claimed two lives, remains uncontrolled, according to fire service spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis.
Vathrakogiannis stated that the fire began at 10 a.m. on Sunday, but strong winds, reaching up to force 8, caused it to quickly spread beyond control.
“The fire has a large perimeter and is spreading through mountainous areas in the Municipality of Evrostini-Xylokastro. However, we are not dealing with a single front,” Vathrakogiannis said and added that it could be tomorrow before the fire is brought under control.
“It seems that today we will not be able to declare the fire as having been contained. That is a conversation we can have from tomorrow.”
Additionally, Nikos Lavranos, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Fire Service Employees, informed Kathimerini that the fire front has now stretched to 32 kilometres.
“This is one of the most difficult fires we have faced this season, with the front stretching 32 kilometers, even though it is not continuous,” he said.
Authorities have ordered the evacuation of six villages, and two people have tragically died as a result of the fire.
The fire service has deployed 350 firefighters, 110 vehicles, and 18 aircraft (seven planes and eleven helicopters) to battle the blaze. On Monday afternoon, 13 more vehicles from the Western Macedonia region were added to the firefighting efforts.
Two firefighters have suffered minor injuries—one from respiratory issues and the other from an eye injury caused by water spray.
Source: Ekathimerini.
