Greek authorities have bolstered their firefighting forces in the northeastern part of the country on Monday, as a massive and deadly wildfire rages on for its tenth consecutive day without showing signs of subsiding.
The wildfire, which has been blazing in the Alexandroupoli and Evros areas near the Turkish border, has been held responsible for 20 out of the 21 wildfire-related fatalities recorded in Greece last week.
According to the fire department, a contingent of 474 firefighters, supported by 100 vehicles, seven aircraft, and two helicopters, are relentlessly battling the inferno. This collaborative effort involves reinforcements from several European nations.
The origin of the fire is under investigation. Over the past week, it has devastated extensive tracts of woodland, consumed residential properties, and necessitated the evacuation of numerous individuals.
The remains of 18 individuals were discovered in a vicinity near the city of Alexandroupoli last Tuesday, while one body had been found within a forested area in the region the preceding day, and an additional body was recovered on Thursday.
These casualties are believed to be migrants who recently crossed the nearby border with Turkey. Greece’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit has been activated to ascertain their identities.
In a separate incident, a man lost his life last week in a distinct fire in central Greece, reportedly while attempting to rescue his livestock from the encroaching flames.
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service, the wildfire has ravaged more than 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) of land, marking it as one of the largest individual fires to have ever impacted a European nation.
Copernicus, an element of the EU’s space program focused on Earth observation, employs satellite imagery to furnish mapping data.
While still not officially declared under control, the situation at another substantial fire that has been blazing on Mount Parnitha, located on the northwestern outskirts of Athens for several days, seems to have improved considerably by Monday.
As per the fire department’s report, a contingent of 260 firefighters, accompanied by 77 vehicles, one aircraft, and one helicopter, continue to combat sporadic flare-ups within the fire zone. This fire had engulfed residences and infiltrated a national park, one of the last green expanses near the Greek capital.
Source: Ekathimerini
