Greece: Wildfires wreaking havoc

A devastating wildfire erupted Thursday at 3 p.m. on Marathonas Avenue toward Penteli in the municipality of Rafina, quickly developing threatening proportions. The fire’s intensity was severe and rapidly gained momentum, spreading through residential areas and damaging homes. “It passed very quickly to the other side and covered about 4 kilometers,” said Spata-Artemida Mayor Dimitris Markos.

At least 5-6 houses burned in Spata settlements, with inspections ongoing to assess additional damage. Emergency responders deployed 170 firefighters with eight forest commando teams and 48 vehicles, supported by 14 aircraft and seven helicopters. Authorities issued 112 emergency messages for evacuations in Agia Kyriaki, Etos Steko, and Imeros Pefkos areas.

Police conducted numerous citizen evacuations and at least 50 rescues. Meanwhile, difficult conditions persisted in Ierapetra, Crete, where forest fires reignited amid strong winds reaching 9 Beaufort scale. Four settlements received new evacuation orders as flames reached the sea, requiring coast guard and private vessels to rescue trapped beachgoers.

In Chios, WWF Greece calculated recent fire damage at 4,700 hectares of forest and agricultural land, with 2,000 hectares previously burned in 2012 and 2016. “Without urgent care, this will lead to desertification,” WWF warned.

Source: InTime News