Wildfire continues to blaze on Greek Island of Evia for second day

More than 200 firefighters backed up by helicopters and water-carrying planes battled a wildfire on Greece's second-biggest island of Evia for a second day on Tuesday as authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages.

The fire broke out near the village of Petries in the center of the island at about 3 pm (1200 GMT) on Monday, and strong winds fuelled its spread.

While the situation had slightly improved on Tuesday, flare-ups remain a risk due to the windy conditions, a fire service spokesperson said.

Thirteen aircraft and six helicopters were at the scene on Tuesday about 60 km (37 miles) northeast of the capital, Athens. A coastguard vessel was on standby overnight for possible evacuations by sea.

"It was - and is - a difficult fire as it started in a difficult spot," Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, who traveled to Evia late on Monday, was quoted as saying by state broadcaster ERT.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece had been dealing with "a very difficult summer" in terms of climate conditions.

"We still have a very difficult month, August, ahead of us, and obviously we all need to be on high alert," he told ministers during a cabinet meeting.

Reuters