Dozens of wildfires broke out across Greece from Monday afternoon into Tuesday afternoon, with firefighting forces in the country responding to incidents in several regions as authorities remained on heightened alert amid the peak summer fire season.
The most serious blaze over the past 24 hours was on the near-Athens island of Salamina, where two people died and nine others were injured in a blaze that swept through residential areas on Sunday. Firefighting forces continued dealing with scattered hotspots on Monday, while authorities investigated the causes of two separate outbreaks.
Initial findings indicated that the fire at the Peristeria site was probably caused by negligence, while investigators are examining evidence suggesting possible arson at the Selinia area.
On Monday, wildfires were also reported in Argithea site near the town of Koropi in eastern Attica prefecture – east of Athens proper – along with a handful of serious blazes in assorted areas around the country. A fire in Pigidakia, Arcadia prefecture in southern Greece, also mobilized firefighters and two aircraft.
A total of 41 rural, low-vegation and forest fires were reported nationwide over a 24-hour period, according to the fire brigade.
On Tuesday, a fire broke out in a forested area at the Komito settlement, northeast of Karystos, on extreme southern Evia (Euboea) island, shortly after 1 p.m. Twenty-five firefighters, eight vehicles, a ground team and five aircraft and helicopters were mobilized.
A fire also broke out in a low-vegetation area near Aivaliotika in Volos, central Greece, while another incident was reported in the Sfakaki area of Rethymno, Crete. The latter destroyed a building at a distillery, although authorities said there was no immediate risk of the fire spreading beyond the facility.
Another rural and forest fire was reported around 2 p.m. Tuesday in Komara, in northeast Evros prefecture, with firefighting forces mobilized to contain the blaze.
The succession of incidents follows a period of particularly active wildfire conditions across the country, with authorities continuing to emphasize preparedness as weather conditions and localized winds can rapidly alter fire behavior.
Source: tovima.com
