The forest fire on the island of Samos began at 10 am on Tuesday, and by the evening it was out of control. A nearby village has been evacuated and fire support forces are heading towards an island in the eastern Aegean. One suspect has been arrested.
The fire broke out in a wooded area near the Vrontsky monastery and quickly got out of control due to strong winds blowing in the area with a force of 5 to 6 on the Beaufort scale.
More than 50 firefighters with several vehicles and dozens of volunteers, as well as two firefighting aircraft, are fighting the fire. About 14 firefighters with 6 vehicles head to the island from the port of Piraeus on the mainland.
Samos fire commander told a local news site SamosTodaythat “we have a fire, which, driven by the south wind, is directed to the northern and western sides of the island.”
Emphasizing that all fire islands were on alert, Captain Miaoulis said that the village of Vourliotes does not have a problem at the moment, but it is covered in smoke.
#Φωτιά στη Σάμο
Οι μέσοι και οι ρπαίοι άνεμοι στην περιοχή της πυρκαγιάς στη Σάμο. Σταδιακή εξασθένηση τις επόμενες ώρες #2000FM998 @GSCP_GR pic.twitter.com/I3c0X96Mh1— Theodoros Kolydas (@KolydasT) March 29, 2022
Early Tuesday evening, ANT1 reported that an 80-year-old man had been arrested as he was believed to be responsible for the fire. No additional details have been released yet.
This is the first major wildfire of the year in Samos and Greece, with thousands of acres of forest and farmland burned every summer.
Many fires are due to arson, as well as negligence.
Samos Fire Pictures: samos24.gr samostoday, Gorgos Stantzos, Mayor of East Samos.
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