Major wildfire in northeastern Corfu

Firefighters, police, civil protection units, as well as residents and volunteers, are battling a major wildfire in the northeastern part of Corfu, where evacuation orders have been issued to a number of villages.

Conditions near the villages of Syki and Imerolia are described as extremely difficult, while in the village of Loutses, the fire front has already entered the yards of houses and destroyed a carpentry workshop.

Tankers and farm vehicles from neighboring areas have rallied to deliver water to the affected areas while ambulances and doctors are on foot to give help to those who need it, as the air is thick with smoke.

Earlier, tourists who were in the affected areas around Loutses were evacuated to the local town hall in Acharavi. Residents in Kalamaki, Asraos, Syki and Imerolia were told to evacuate to Kassiopi.

Speaking to Kathimerini, the mayor of North Corfu, Giorgos Machimaris, said that “the situation in Loutses is tragic. The fire is burning houses and we are trying to convince some last residents to leave. Some of them were saving their animals until the last moment.

“The front has gone out of control a long time ago and is heading towards the sea, east towards Imerolia and Syki and west towards Apraos. In Syki and Imerolia, the flames are close to the houses, the vegetation is dense.”