Greek firefighters continued Thursday morning to fight against two worrying fires in Olympia and on the island of Evia, in the west and east of the country affected by a hundred fires under the effect of an exceptional heatwave.

Large forces were deployed near the village of Ancient Olympia to protect the archaeological site where the first Olympic Games were held in antiquity, west of the Peloponnese peninsula.

After having burned about twenty houses, "the fire front is now heading towards the area of ​​Lala", a mountainous forest area, northeast of the ancient site, declared Thursday morning the prefect Nektarios Farmakis, questioned by the agency. Greek press ANA.

The village of Ancient Olympia, usually crowded with tourists at this time of year, as well as six other nearby towns had been evacuated the day before.

Thursday morning, more than 170 firefighters, helped by about fifty vehicles and 6 helicopters and water bomber planes were still battling, assisted by army reinforcements, according to the firefighters.

118 fires counted

Equivalent forces were deployed on the huge island of Euboea, some 200 km east of Athens, the scene of a violent and uncontrolled fire which broke out on Tuesday on mountainous and wooded terrain, dried up by the temperatures. scorching heat of the last few days. Hundreds of houses burned down as well as more than 25,000 hectares of pine forest, according to initial estimates. About 90 people were evacuated by sea on Wednesday from Rovies beach, in the northwest of the island, by the Greek coast guard. Thursday morning, two additional villages were evacuated, according to the ANA.

According to the mayor of Mantoudi, a village in Evia, Giannis Tsapourniotis, the fire of great virulence is evolving on four fronts, one of which is moving uncontrollably west of the monastery of Saint David, forcibly evacuated Wednesday. But Thursday morning, the wind strengthened and the air assets were struggling to fly over the fires, because visibility is limited due to the thick smoke, according to the ANA.

Firefighters said Thursday morning they had to manage 92 forest fires in the last 24 hours in Greece, out of the 118 counted Wednesday evening by the Deputy Minister of Civil Protection, Nikos Hardalias.

"We are making a titanic effort on several fronts," he also said during a press briefing.

Another fire was underway in Messinia, south of the Peloponnesus, where six towns were evacuated as a precaution, according to firefighters.

Planet

Fires in Europe: EU sends planes, helicopters and firefighters to Italy and the Balkans

World

Greece: Firefighters hope to contain major fire north of Athens

  • World

  • Firefighters

  • Heat wave

  • Fire

  • Fire

  • Greece