Wildfire rages out of control on Serifos Island (video)

At around 6:00 pm on Saturday, June 29, a fire broke out on the island of Serifos, spreading rapidly due to strong winds.

The fire primarily affects low vegetation, writes Kathimerini edition, however, quickly spread over an area of ​​8 kilometers, and authorities used the emergency number 112. Local residents were notified to evacuate six villages in the direction of Chora, the island's main hilltop settlement.

The island's mayor, Konstantinos Revitis, told the newspaper last night that the fire was “out of control,” Strong winds prevented firefighting aircraft from operating in the area. Even in good conditions, planes do not fly after dark. He added that three fire engines would arrive by ship from the nearby island of Syros around midnight. Greek Fire Service spokesman Vasilis Vatrakogiannis said it was a “complex fire” and firefighters would be battling the blaze all night.

The morning information of the Greek media says that a major fire in Serifos, which broke out on Saturday afternoon in the area Livadi, brought under control early this morning after an overnight battle to contain the blaze, according to the island's mayor. Konstantinos Revintisat the moment the fire brigade and the municipality are on high alert, as The entire southwest side burned down – houses, churches and warehouses turned to ashes. In this morning's update on the fire on the island of Serifos, the fire service said:

“33 firefighters with 15 vehicles are working on a fire that broke out in low vegetation yesterday afternoon, June 29, 2024, in the Livadi area of ​​​​Serifos. Including seven firefighters with three vehicles that left yesterday from the island of Syros on the ferry “ARTEMIS” and 22 firefighters with 11 vehicles that arrived yesterday evening from Piraeus on the ferry “ANEMOS”, a helicopter is also working. Volunteer firefighters are helping in the extinguishing.”

Earlier in an interview with SKAI Konstantinos Revintis noted that “this is a biblical catastrophe. The total length of the front is 15 km. We are talking about a huge catastrophe. Burning houses, burnt cottages, burnt warehouses.”

As for the burned or damaged houses, he said they were “from Kalo Ambeli to Vaya. Some managed to survive, they were saved by volunteers and firefighters, others did not make it. At the same time, some churches were damaged.”

Serifos is 92 nautical miles (170 kilometers) from the port of Piraeus and has an area of ​​75.2 square kilometers (29 square miles). Its permanent population numbers 1,241 people; it increases several times in the summer due to tourists.

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