Wildfire forces village to evacuate in Evia; four more blazes raging
A village in southern Evia was evacuated on Saturday as a large fire broke out on Saturday in a forest near Nea Styra, adding to the number of blazes raging since Friday.
The villagers of Niborio had fled their homes by the time the first fire-fighting vehicles reached the area and before the evacuation order was given. The fire flared up quickly and spread to nearby woods close to the settlement due to the strong winds blowing in the area.
Fire-fighting forces are being sent from every part of Evia and mainland Greece — Livadia, Thiva and Lamia — as the winds did not allow the first three aircraft to approach the area.
At the same time, three more fires continued to burn in Elefsina, Aspropyrgos and Varnavas — all in wider Attica. Traffic police had several closed roads to western Attica while fire-fighting forces were trying to prevent the fires from spreading further.
A fourth blaze also broke out on the road toward Dervenochoria in Magoula, on NATO Avenue and Troias in Aspropyrgos and in Roupaki, also in Aspropyrgos, straining the fire service further.
A total of 56 fire fighters, two teams on foot, the motorised fire brigade team METPE, a helicopter, two airplanes and municipality water trucks have been deployed in Aspropyrgos and police have suspended traffic on Zoodochos Pigis Avenue in Aspropyrgos from NATO Avenue to the Papastratos factory and the Elefsina-Dervenochoria road from the Kanaki factory.
[ANA-MPA]
