Greece faced a fiery onslaught over the weekend, with multiple wildfires breaking out near Athens and other regions, creating a “ring of fire” around the country.
In Attica, two large wildfires raged on Sunday. The first, near the town of Keratea, began around 1pm and rapidly spread due to strong winds, destroying homes and cars. The fire is advancing towards the town of Lavrio and has already affected both low growth and inhabited areas. Authorities have evacuated residents from several settlements, with 138 firefighters, nine waterbombers, and eight helicopters battling the blaze. Deputy Mayor Athanasios Makrodimitris reported numerous hotspots and called for more aerial support.
In northern Athens, another fire in Stamata prompted emergency evacuation messages, while a separate blaze in the agricultural and forest areas of Soufli in Evros, northern Greece, is also being contained with firefighting efforts underway.
Meanwhile, on Serifos island, a large wildfire that erupted on Saturday was brought under control by Sunday. Mayor Konstantinos Revintis described the scene as a “biblical disaster,” with significant damage to the southwestern part of the island. The fire prompted multiple evacuation messages and involved a substantial firefighting effort, including reinforcements from Athens.
In northern Greece, another fire broke out in the Soufli area of Evros on Sunday morning, burning agricultural and forest areas. The fire department deployed 26 firefighters, nine vehicles, three aircraft, and a helicopter to contain the blaze.
These wildfires underscore the urgent need for enhanced firefighting resources and strategies to combat the increasing frequency and intensity of such disasters in Greece.
Source: Ekathimerini.
