Fire Service warns weather conditions favor wildfires

A total of 53 wildfires broke out in the 24-hour period to 6 p.m. Sunday but most were put out at an early stage, a Fire Service spokeswoman said.

The weather conditions, dry with high temperatures and high winds, will also prevail Monday and the spokeswoman, Fire Warrant Officer Rafaella Tzima, called on citizens to remain vigilant and call either the Fire Service number, 199, or the emergency number, 112, as soon as they notice the first sign of a fire.

Tzima said conditions will be especially difficult in central and southern Greece, as well as the eastern Aegean islands.

“This was the first difficult day of the wildfire season,” she said.

Access to national parks and forest will be curtailed Monday, due to the high risk of wildfires, the spokeswoman said.