Weather not helping as battle against wildfires continues
Water-dumping aircraft took off at first light on Tuesday to help dozens of ground crews and mobile units battle three wildfires in the regions of Attica, Corinth and Viotia for a second day, as strong winds and high temperatures continued to exacerbate conditions.
The biggest blaze appeared to be in Dervenohoria, a cluster of villages in Viotia, some 45 kilometers northwest of Athens, though the fires in the East Attica seaside resort of Saronida and outside Loutraki in Corinth were also active despite an all-night effort to contain them.
State broadcaster ERT said that three volunteer firefighters in Saronida had to be treated for eye injuries, while Fire Service spokesperson Yiannis Artopios told a press briefing on Tuesday morning that homes have been destroyed in both Saronida and Loutraki, adding that a proper assessment of the damage will be carried out after the blazes are brought under control.
“The top priority was and remains to protect human life and, of course, to safeguard critical public infrastructure,” he underlined.
The National Observatory of Athens, meanwhile, issued a Level 4 – the highest – wildfire risk alert on Tuesday morning for eastern parts of the country, including the Greek capital, parts of the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands, where strong winds pose a particular hazard after a protracted period of hot, dry weather that is only expected to get worse over the next few days.
