Fires still blazing in Fokida and Peloponnese, as another tough day dawns

An easing of winds overnight helped the Greek Fire Service contain several blazes in different parts of the country, though Tuesday morning dawned with firefighters still doing battle in Fokida and the Peloponnese.

According to the Fire Service, 52 wildfires broke out on Monday alone, stoked by strong winds and high temperatures.

Of these, a big blaze in the foothills of Mount Parnassos in Fokida, continued on Tuesday morning to burn through an important stretch of olive groves and has broken up into multiple fronts as it makes its way towards the sea.

“We were helped overnight by the winds dying down, though we are concerned about the front from Itea to Agia Evfimia,” the deputy regional governor of Fokida, Giorgos Delmouzos, said on Tuesday morning.

He added that enhanced aerial support is expected to help contain the blaze further.

Water-dumping aircraft were also dispatched at first light to Kranidi in Argolida in the northern Peloponnese, where a hotel had to be evacuated on Monday.

According to reports, the Amazoe has sustained some damage, though its extent cannot be assessed by experts until the Fire Service gives the all-clear.

In another part of the Peloponnese, in Ilia on the west, firefighters also spent the night battling a blaze that had started on Sunday in neighboring Achaia and spread across the prefecture’s borders.

Another fire on Mount Athos was reportedly contained on Tuesday, which is expected to be another tough day for the Fire Service, according to the National Observatory’s Meteo weather service, which warned of a heightened risk of wildfires for a fourth day in a row.

As a result, residents and visitors are advised to refrain from activities like barbeques and bonfires, to clear up their litter when picnicking outdoors and to keep their gardens and fields clear of underbrush, fallen branches and any other debris that can fuel a fire.

Source: ekathimerini.com