Fire near Athens Photo: Aris Messinis / AFP / Profimedia
A new fire fueled by violent winds triggered on Friday near Athens, while the fire that burns for three days in Crete is “in retreat”, Greek firefighters said, AFP, taken over by Agerpres.
The fire broke out in Koropi commune, at a distance of 30 kilometers east of Athens. The inhabitants were ordered to leave this peri -urban area where there are numerous homes built in the middle of the vegetation through messages sent by civil protection on mobile phones.
“The fire arrived in the courts of the people,” warned the mayor of Koropi, Dimitris Kiousis, on the public television station.
At least two water planes and two helicopters fight with the flames intensified by the strong winds that blow in Attica, the Athens region and the Greek capital. The flames destroy the olives and the shrubs, according to the images broadcast by the public television station.
On Thursday afternoon, another fire triggered about 30 kilometers from Athens, near the Port Rafina, was eventually under control during the evening after leaving about 300 people. Some homes and vehicles were damaged, according to the mayor of Spata-Artemida, Dimitris Markou, quoted by ERT.
Fire made under control in Crete
In contrast, the fire triggered on Wednesday night near the city of Ierpetra, in the south-east of Crete-one of the main tourist destinations in Greece-and which led to the evacuation of 5,000 people, including numerous tourists, “it is in retreat”, the fire service said for AFP. “There is a fear that it could be resumed, but there is no big front,” the fireplace spokesman, Vassilios Vathrakoyannis said.
Fire in Crete and Halkidiki, where Romanian tourists are on vacation. Hundreds of firefighters are struggling with the flames
About 230 firefighters, 48 vehicles and 6 helicopters remained mobilized on the ground, near the city of Iérapetra. The diminution of the strength of the winds in this region where access is difficult allowed to improve the situation.
The spokesman for the firefighters has expected, however, on Thursday evening that difficult days are coming in Greece due to an expected increase in temperatures associated with violent winds, especially in the Athens region. The risk of fires remained very high on Friday in several regions, including Athens, Attica, according to Greek civil protection.
Until now, Greece has been bypassed by the heatwalk that hit much of Europe, especially Spain, Portugal and France. But starting with this weekend, temperatures will rise and will reach up to 43 degrees Celsius in certain regions of Greece, according to the weather forecasts.
