Greece, heat wave with temperatures close to 46 ° C, has faced multiple forest fires fed by strong winds, especially near Athens, this Saturday, July 26.
From the island of Crete to the Peloponesa Peninsula (southwest) through the capital of the capital, several of these fires worried the authorities, for whom “the most difficult is yet to come,” according to spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis.
52 identified fire outputs
“All the services (of the Firefighters) of the country were placed on a general alert, as well as all the Civil Protection forces,” he added during a brief press point.
In this habitual Mediterranean country of intense heat waves, about 52 fire departures have been listed by firefighters in the last 24 hours, according to the same source, of which 44 could be dominated.
From Monday, the entire country has been beaten by a heat wave that has increased the thermometer to 45.8 ° C on local Friday. The fire risk is still “very high” for Sunday in Attica, the center and western Greece, creates in particular, according to civil protection.
Sixth consecutive day of high heat
Saturday, sixth consecutive day of high heat, the temperature in Athens reached 40.8 ° C and should only go back on Monday, according to time forecasts.
Greece, who suffers strongly the impact of climate change, requested help from the European Union to face the flames with six fire -fight aircraft, through the European Resources Program (Receu).
30 km north of the capital, the authorities asked the inhabitants to evacuate two villages, Drosopigi and Kryoneri, where many houses were on fire according to ERT public television. According to the police, at least 27 people were evacuated from these two villages.
Five hospitalizations
Five people were hospitalized, including a firefighter who suffers from burns, three people affected by respiratory problems and an older woman with symptoms of heart attack.
At the end of the day, a sky loaded with smoke, oscillating between gray and red, formed on Athens.
The violent winds, by force of 5 to 6 degrees on the Beaufort scale, complicated firefighters when civil protection had placed Attica, the Athens region, in red surveillance (the maximum level) due to the extreme risk of fires.
“Rapilas de Fuego”
The situation is difficult and unpredictable because “the region knows gusts of wind that resemble gusts of fire,” said Giannis Moniakis, an advisor to the mayor of Oopos, on which these localities depend.
A total of 102 firefighters are deployed in this area, as well as 36 vehicles, two aircraft and three helicopters, according to the Ana news agency. On the small island of Cytera, outside the Peloponnese (southwest), an evacuation operation was being carried out by the sea of people trapped on a beach, according to the Griega Ana agency.
These people, whose number was not specified, could not leave the beach of Limniona by road due to the speed of propagation of the flames.
A maritime patrol and three private ships ensure this evacuation. On this island of 3,600 inhabitants appreciated by tourists, the fire is out of control. The violent winds that blow at 6 on the Beaufort scale have accelerated the propagation of flames.
To strengthen the workforce on the site, 16 firefighters and six vehicles were transported in boat. On the island of Ebée, near Attica, another fire was also out of control. Two firefighters were hospitalized with light injuries.
“The destruction is immeasurable because several pig farms in the region have already been devastated by the flames,” said Giorgos Psathas, mayor of Dirfion-Messapion, in which Ebée island depends.
Another fire also enraged the Peloponnese, in the Messénie region. On Saturday, the highest temperature, 45.2 ° C, was recorded in the west of the country, in Amfilochia, according to the Meteo.Gr site of the National Athens Observatory.
At the beginning of summer, a great forest fire on the very tourist island in Crete had led thousands of evacuations. Greece is experiencing destructive fires every summer. Last year it was particularly dramatic in the matter, with a great fire that had reached the suburbs of Athens.
Source: BFM TV
