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A Canadair fights against fire, not far from the village of Stavros, on the island of Euboea, Greece, August 14, 2019. REUTERS / Costas Baltas

Greek authorities reported progress on Friday (August 16th) in the fight against the four-day firefighting of the island of Euboea, northeast of Athens, reducing more than 1,000 hectares of pine forest to smoke .

" The situation seems better today, there is no active front but our forces remain in place, " said a spokesman for firefighters, however, referring to " pockets of fire " remaining in a ravine. He did not say whether the fire would be considered controlled during the day, as suggested by the authorities the previous day.

The fire , which broke out on Tuesday 14 August at 3 am near a nature reserve, has now destroyed more than 1,000 hectares of pine forests, according to the Greek agency ANA. Nearly 400 firefighters, assisted by 110 vehicles, nine planes and four helicopters water bombers were still struggling Friday morning to overcome this disaster on land with dense vegetation, rugged terrain and difficult access.

Italian and Spanish reinforcements

Two water bombers, one from Italy and the other from Spain, lent them a hand. At the request of Athens, the European Union mobilized its resources from the Rescue Mechanism, operational since the beginning of the year in anticipation of forest fires. On the island of Euboea, the second largest country after Crete, four villages were evacuated, a firefighter was hospitalized, burned and at least four cars were burned.

From north to south, Greece has been affected in recent days by a series of fires under the combined effect of heat waves, high winds and drought. Some had declared themselves on the islands of Thassos in the north, or Elafonissos in the south, near Athens, or in the regions of Boeotia in the center and Peloponnese in the south of the country.

( with AFP )