Greece: Unprecedented heat and strong winds hamper firefighting

Resort areas in Greece left thousands of people. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the country’s prime minister, called the wildfires raging against the background of the heat one of the consequences of the climate crisis.

It was possible to control the fire that broke out in the city of Loutraki, on the shores of the Gulf of Corinth near Athens. The wind complicates the work of firefighters in the Boeotia region, also near the Greek capital. Over the past night, the flames have rapidly spread through the forest area. The fire began to approach residential buildings, so the residents of four settlements were evacuated. Children have been taken out of three summer camps.

To Attica directed four firefighting aircraft from Italy and France. In the eastern regions of Greece, including Athens and the islands in the Aegean Sea, a fourth level of fire danger has been declared. Rescuers rescued hundreds of animals from the fire, but not without tragedies.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the authorities are doing everything possible to prevent fires: “This is one of the consequences of the climate crisis, which we are experiencing with increasing intensity.”

According to meteorologists, hot weather will last for several more days, and strong winds pose a particular danger to the outbreak and spread of fires.

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