Athens: As Greece battles scorching temperatures during a relentless heatwave, a wildfire erupted near Athens on Monday, prompting the evacuation of several seaside resorts as a precautionary measure.
The blaze originated in Kouvaras, located 50 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of Athens. Firefighters faced a challenging situation as strong winds, reaching gusts of up to 60 kilometres (37 miles) per hour, fueled the flames, according to Yannis Artopios, a spokesman for the firefighters.
The heatwave, which has also affected Italy and Spain, has gripped Greece for the past week, with temperatures soaring to 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in the country's central region. In response to the wildfire, seven water-bombing aircraft, four helicopters, and 150 firefighters, along with 30 colleagues from Romania, were deployed to combat the blaze on two fronts, as reported by local media, reported AFP.
The fire rapidly spread through brushwood, moving south toward the Attica region and the resorts of Lagonissi, Anavyssos, and Saronida. Thick smoke engulfed the roads around Kalyvia, causing disruptions to traffic. Authorities issued evacuation orders for residents in the affected areas, and even monks residing in a local monastery were relocated to safety.
Strong winds ignited a forest fire near the Isthmus of Corinth also which is close to the popular beach town of Loutraki. As a precautionary measure, evacuations were also ordered in Loutraki, reported by the domestic press agency ANA. Meanwhile, in the capital city of Athens, where temperatures reached 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, the Acropolis, a prominent tourist attraction, closed during the hottest hours for three consecutive days until Sunday.
Although temperatures are expected to decrease by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in Greece by Wednesday, the national weather service, EMY, forecasts another heatwave to follow from Thursday, with local highs of 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit).
Yannis Artopios emphasised the challenging conditions faced by firefighters, stating, "We are in the middle of the period of fighting fires, and the conditions expected will be particularly difficult and favour forest fires."