Forest fire burns on Naxos as Greece battles multiple blazes

A forest fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in the Kinidaros area on the island of Naxos and continued to burn into the evening.

Firefighting efforts have been reinforced with 33 firefighters, a ground team, and 12 fire trucks. Additional personnel arrived by helicopter and ferry, including seven firefighters from the emergency unit, four from Syros via coast guard vessel, and four from Santorini with two vehicles.

Later Wednesday evening, another four firefighters with two vehicles are expected to arrive from Paros, along with 10 firefighters and five vehicles from the port of Piraeus.

Aerial support involves four aircraft and two helicopters operating intermittently. Local government water tankers and machinery are also assisting in the firefighting operation.

Over the past 24 hours, Greece has seen 50 rural and forest fires; 39 were quickly contained, while 11 remain active. The fire north of Athens near the Penteli Monastery has been brought under partial control.

Source: ekathimerini.com