Greek firefighters continue battle against wildfires amidst strong winds

Greek firefighters are continuing their efforts on Thursday to combat wildfires that have been raging in the country for the past two weeks, resulting in five fatalities. They fear that strong winds expected during the day may further fan the flames.

Hundreds of firefighters, supported by reinforcements from the European Union, are working to contain the fires on the islands of Rhodes, Corfu, and Evia, as well as a new fire that broke out in central Greece on Wednesday.

A new fire broke out near houses in Kifissia, a suburb of Athens, on Thursday morning, but it was quickly extinguished.

Authorities report that around 600 fires have broken out across the country since July 13, the majority of which have been brought under control.

However, tens of thousands of residents and tourists have been forced to evacuate in recent days, including 20,000 people on the popular tourist island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese archipelago in the Aegean Sea.

On Wednesday, a large fire erupted near the industrial area in the city of Volos (central Greece), resulting in two fatalities. A disabled woman was found dead inside her mobile home that was engulfed in flames in a coastal area in Volos, while a livestock farmer lost his life while trying to save his herd.

As a precaution, the industrial area was closed on Thursday.

While temperatures are expected to decrease on Thursday after a prolonged heatwave, the winds that are fueling the fires could hamper firefighting efforts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP