Battle against Pierian Mountains wildfire enters fourth day
Crews continued to battle a wildfire in the Pierian Mountains of the central Macedonia region for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday.
The firefighting operation comprises 36 fire engines manned by a crew of 150 members, along with nine teams of firefighters on foot, supplemented by two water-dropping helicopters.
The fire broke out on Sunday in the vicinity of Sarakatsana, at an altitude of approximately 1,700 meters, before spreading toward the summit of the mountain range, which reaches heights above 2,190 meters.
The Pierian Mountains boast lush, diverse vegetation, including dense forests of beech, oak, chestnut, and both black and red pines, while shrubs and deciduous trees thrive at lower elevations.
The challenging terrain, characterized by steep slopes and dense vegetation cover, complicates the firefighting efforts.
The extent of the destruction is not clear. Speaking to the state-run Athens-Macedonia news agency, Pieria forest ranger Petros Papapetrou downplayed the severity of the damage, saying that “this is primarily a slow-moving wildfire spreading across lower ground.”
