Wildfire in Evia rages on, all-night battle by firefighters
The fire that erupted on Monday afternoon on Evia Island continued to blaze through the night, prompting additional evacuations as firefighters worked tirelessly to control the flames.
During the night and early Tuesday morning, new evacuation alerts were issued via 112 messages to residents in Klimaki, Liani Ammo, Petries, and Krieza.
According to the Fire Department, the blaze is advancing southward between the settlements of Petries, Krieza, and Alonia.
Approximately 205 firefighters with 56 vehicles are on the ground, and at dawn on Tuesday, five aircraft and three helicopters were deployed to assist in the firefighting efforts.
Fire service spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis told Kathimerini that the fire in the southeastern part of Evia, particularly within the Petries, Krieza, and Alonia triangle, is among the most dangerous this summer.
“Properties and settlements are indeed at risk. While I wouldn’t say it is the most dangerous fire of the summer so far, it is certainly one of the most severe,” he said, noting that a vehicle’s tires were burned and a firefighter sustained minor burns on his fingers.
Vathrakogiannis emphasized that the causes of the fire are still under investigation. “We are in the midst of the fire season, and conditions are expected to become more challenging in the coming days. We need to exercise great caution,” he urged.
Evia experienced devastating forest fires in 2021, which destroyed about 50,000 hectares of forest, approximately one-third of its total forest cover.
When asked by Kathimerini whether Evia, which faces frequent fires each summer, can handle another blaze, Fanis Spanos, governor of the Central Greece region, acknowledged, “Forest fires are a reality for the entire country, and they are perhaps even more frequent on Evia.”
Nikos Mparakos, mayor of Kymi-Aliveri, where the fire is occurring, spoke to Kathimerini, saying, “Our area is prone to burning due to its winds and specific vegetation types.” He noted that the fire currently has two main active fronts, with the most dangerous one in the Koskina area.
“If the winds change,” he added, “the situation could become even more perilous.”
