July 2, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

The fire fronts are intensifying – signal 112 has been sent to the Peloponnese and Attica


The fires, which began around noon on June 21, have gained strength and are actively spreading, despite the heroic struggle of firefighters. The reason is hot weather and strong winds, which can instantly create a large fire from a small fire.

There is an extreme fire risk in Attica today, with a new front emerging in Mavro-Litari-Saronida shortly after the Keratea fire was brought under control. However, he was soon liquidated. Earlier, residents were asked to evacuate towards Glyfada and a campsite was also evacuated. The traffic police restored traffic along Souniu Avenue, which was blocked from Electra Street to Minos Street.

Under still unclear circumstances, the forest fire broke out at around 2 p.m. and is located next to the Alexander Hotel on Coastal Avenue. To extinguish it, 39 firefighters with two groups on foot, nine fire trucks and a helicopter, as well as members of the Saronikos Civil Defense, were deployed.

The other two major fires the fire brigade is currently dealing with are in Argolis and Arcadia. In Argolis, a fire broke out in the Lykia region in a forested area. In connection with the fire, message 112 was activated, which refers to a forest fire and calls on the residents of Duka Vrisi and Kefalovryso to retreat towards Lykia.

In Arcadia, residents of the village of Khoremi were asked to evacuate towards Veligost, and residents of the districts of Apiditsa and Hrus – towards Megalopolis after a fire broke out near DEI. In Khoremi, the fire ripped through a village and burned several houses, according to an ERT report.

72 firefighters, 2 pedestrian units, 27 vehicles are taking part in the extinguishing effort, and three aircraft and a helicopter are assisting from the air. Earlier, messages 112 were sent about the evacuation of residents of the villages of Agia Varvara in Kalfa and Rachi in Skourou.

A major fire also broke out in Mastrantoni in the municipality of Erymanthos in Achaia, where residents have so far received three messages from the 112 service asking them to leave specific localities. There are 56 firefighters, two foot sections and 17 vehicles in the area.

The fire broke out earlier in a forest area in the prefecture of Corinthia, in the Drosopigi area, and the fire brigade rushed there with ground and air means. According to the service, the fire has now been localized. Twelve firefighters, five pieces of equipment and three aircraft were brought in to extinguish it.

According to the fire service, the fires occurred in agroforestry zones in Rigani in Etoloakarnania, Neochori in Messinia and Kranidi in Argolis. Ground and air forces have been deployed to extinguish them.

In Kefalonia The forest is burning in the Divarata (Myrtos) area, in particular on the mountain above the road. The fire was reported by local residents who saw smoke. The fire is far from residential areas. There are currently 21 firefighters and six pieces of equipment on the scene, and five aircraft are airdropping water.

There is a fire in Chios which had previously originated in a van parked in a mastic field between Timiana and Nechori, about 4-5 km from the island's capital, was immediately brought under control.

Low vegetation is being burned by a fire on the side of the Athens-Lamia highway in Thebes. According to the fire service, 30 firefighters with 13 engines and three aircraft have been mobilized.

At noon a fire broke out in Evia. According to local residents, the fire broke out in Fidonisi in the Punda district in the municipality of Kimi Aliveri from an earth-moving machine that fell from a 200-meter cliff while carrying out work (the fire was a fall). According to the same data, there is one casualty. Firefighters with engines from Aliveri are working at the scene, and forces from Chalkida are also on the way. At a briefing earlier, fire service spokesman V. Vatrakogiannis said the following:

The civil defense forces are on alert. Over the past few hours, 45 fires have occurred. The 112 service sent 11 messages to either obtain information or evacuate residents in various areas. Efforts are being made to contain fires in Kefalonia, Agrinio, Meligala Messinia. The fires in Mavro-Litari and Drosopigi in Corinthia have been brought under control. Winds in many cases exceed 95 kilometers per hour. There is a very high risk of fires tomorrow in Attica, Argolis, Corinthia, Boeotia and southern Evia. Attica, Argolis, Corinthia, Boeotia and southern Evia will be at an orange fire danger level tomorrow, with many other areas at a high fire danger level.





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