Evia, Messinia, Ilia and Fokida on fire

The fires on Evia, in Ilia and Messinia in southern Greece, and Fokida and Fthiotida in central Greece were raging uncontrollably Friday night. The most ominous was that which broke out on Tuesday afternoon in Evia, destroying hundreds of houses and over 30,000 hectares of forest. 

Indicative of the scale of the disaster was the fact that even though the fire broke out near the coastal village of Limni, on the west coast of Evia, by Thursday night it had spread and burnt Agia Anna on the shores of the Aegean. It continued to rage uncontrollably Friday toward Mantoudi and especially Kirinthos.

“There are active fronts throughout central and northern Evia,” Evia Deputy Regional Governor Giorgos Kelaiditis told Kathimerini Friday, adding that the fire took on uncontrollable proportions due to the delayed arrival of air firefighting forces.

The village of Rovies suffered extensive damage, with the president of the settlement, Thodoris Keris, telling Kathimerini that “everything was destroyed,” while also denouncing the delayed reaction of the fire brigade.

The situation in Ilia remained particularly difficult, with the fire raging uncontrollably in four different places: the areas of Lambeti, Lala and Nemouta as well as Ancient Olympia.

The General Secretariat for Civil Protection urged the precautionary evacuation of 32 settlements. 

Similarly the situation in Messinia remained problematic, with fires burning thousands of hectares of forest and crops in the areas of Vlachopoulo and Vasilitsi.

The situation on the front in Fokida was described as improved Friday. The mayor of Doridos said houses and farmland had been destroyed in three villages.