Tourist camp at Elafonisos evacuated again as fire rages

A tourist camp on the island of Elafonisos, in southern Greece, has been evacuated for a second day in a row, as a wildfire which broke out Saturday morning at a nearby landfill has intensified again because of the prevailing winds.

The island’s mayor has also ordered the evacuation of nearby houses.

Authorities had pronounced the fire as “under control” last night, but winds have picked up.

A total of 90 firefighters are trying to contain the fire, aided by 6 airplanes and 3 helicopters.

The winds and high temperatures have helped dozens of wildfires to break out since Friday across Greece.

Elafonisos, a 19-square-kilometer (7-square-mile) island well-known for its sandy beaches has a population of about 350 people but is visited by over 3,000 tourists daily during the summer.

[AP]