Wildfire claims life of shepherd in Viotia
A man died on Monday during a wildfire that broke out in Prodromos, located in Viotia to the northwest of the capital, earlier in the morning.
According to the police, the victim was an 80-year-old shepherd who hurried to rescue his sheep upon receiving an evacuation message for the village.
“The fire front is of substantial size, and strong winds are sweeping through the area. We are putting in considerable efforts to bring it under control,” Thiva Mayor Giorgos Anastasiou told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
Anastasiou added that a settlement near the village of Sarantis has already been evacuated following an alert transmitted through the emergency number 112.
“Presently, the fire front is less than 1km away from the residences, but the winds are exceptionally fierce. Four helicopters and ground-based firefighting units, in addition to municipal machinery, are engaged in operations within the area. The task is exceedingly challenging as firefighting aircraft are unable to operate in such intense wind conditions,” the mayor explained. [AMNA]
