(Athens) Forty-five forest fires were recorded in Greece on Friday, the third consecutive day of violent winds leading to preventive evacuations in certain villages, especially in the Peloponnese (south), according to firefighters.
At least four major fires broke out in the Peloponnese peninsula and more particularly near the town of Megalopoli in Arcadia and in the departments of Argolis, Messinia and Achaia, located between 150 and 250 km southwest of ‘Athens.
“The (meteorological) conditions are extremely difficult, the wind speed on Friday in certain regions exceeded 95 km/h (10 on the Beaufort scale), which makes the efforts of the pilots” of the water bombers difficult, indicated the spokesperson for the firefighters, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, during a press briefing.
In total “45 fire outbreaks were recorded across the country”, including one near the seaside resort of Mavro Lithari, near Athens, which was quickly contained, added this official, calling on citizens to be vigilant.
In Megalopoli, where the fire started near a power plant of the Greek Electric Company (DEI), forty-four firefighters are battling the flames, supported by 12 vehicles, six water bomber planes and two helicopters, according to the Greek News Agency, Ana.
On Wednesday, a fire broke out in Koropi, 30 km southeast of Athens, and residents of two surrounding villages and three private schools were preemptively evacuated.
No stranger to heat waves, Greece has been preparing for weeks for a particularly difficult summer in terms of heatwaves and forest fires after having suffered the hottest winter in its history.
The Mediterranean country went through its first wave of heatwave last week with temperatures locally reaching more than 44°C.
It had experienced devastating fires and a two-week heatwave of over 40°C, unprecedented in its duration, in 2023.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), rising temperatures caused by human-caused fossil fuel emissions are lengthening the fire season and increasing the area burned.
