High Winds Cause Hasty Spread Of Wildfire In Greece; Residents Force to Evacuate As Homes Were Damaged

As Greece battled the effects of the heatwave, huge wildfires broke out near the capital, which later prompted a major evacuation among residents.

According to Reuters, the fire started in the village of Kouvaras, which is located around 27 kilometers (17 miles) southeast of Athens.

The fires were fought by more than 200 firefighters, 20 soldiers, 68 fire engines, 10 aircraft, and six helicopters.

Authorities evacuated more than 100 residents, as well as dozens of horses, as the flames reached stables in the areas of Kalyvia and Anavyssos.

On Monday evening, police announced the arrest of a "foreigner" for allegedly causing the fire, the DW News reported.

Another wildfire broke out close to the seaside resort of Loutraki, about 50 miles west of Athens.

This prompted the evacuation of 1,200 children in a summer camp and residents of a rehabilitation center.

About 135 firefighters, 50 fire engines, 40 soldiers, and 13 aircraft were deployed to put out the fire, which led authorities to close a portion of a roadway and interrupt train services.

In the late afternoon, a third fire started in a forest about 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Athens, in the Dervenochoria region.

Strong winds

Authorities have reported a total of 81 fires burning on Monday near Athens.

According to Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios, the erratic winds and mountainous terrain where the fires started were hampering the firefighting effort.

"The conditions are changing constantly and this has to be matched by our response. We have ordered multiple evacuations," he added.

Wildfires are common in Greece during the summer; however, the dry winter has produced tinderbox conditions.

Aljazeera reported that re-elected Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis characterized the wildfire as "extremely difficult" to cope with, advising citizens to follow civil protection rules.

"We have always had wildfires and we always will have them. But with the effects of the climate crisis, we are experiencing fires with increasing intensity," Mitsotakis said, speaking on a summit in Brussels with leaders from the European Union and Latin American and Caribbean countries.

EU to send firefighting planes

The European Union has announced that it will assist Greece in combating wildfires after Athens requested assistance from fellow member states, the Guardian reported.

Canadair firefighting planes from Italy and France will be dispatched after the activation of the bloc's civil protection mechanism, European Commission spokesperson Janez Lenarcic said.

The Greek government reported that fires had reignited in the area of Dervenochoria on Tuesday despite the efforts of the authorities.

Christos Stathis, mayor of Mandra, said the lack of firefighting planes contributed to the fast spread of the flames.

"Until 4am there was no problem with fires in the wider region of Mandra," he said. "Unfortunately, the lack of firefighting planes have brought these negative results."

According to reports, another fire has rekindled in Loutraki, a vacation town on the Gulf of Corinth.

"Right now there are several active fires and many flare-ups in Loutraki," said the fire department.

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