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Greek firefighters battle coastal resort blaze amid fierce winds
🇸🇬 Singapore /Disasters & Emergencies

Greek firefighters battle coastal resort blaze amid fierce winds

From CNA · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Hundreds of firefighters battled a wildfire near a popular Greek coastal resort on Saturday, hampered by strong winds.
  • The fire reached the sea, damaging homes, and forcing the evacuation of about 300 people who were rescued by boat.
  • Greece faces a high fire risk across several regions due to high temperatures, heat waves, and drought, with three firefighters already dead this week.

Firefighters in Greece fought a fierce battle on Saturday to save the coastal resort of Porto Germeno from a raging wildfire. Violent winds, reaching up to 130 kilometers per hour, significantly hampered their efforts. The fire department reported that over 300 firefighters were deployed to the area northwest of Athens.

The fire has reached the sea ... homes have certainly been damaged.

— fire department spokesmanDescribing the impact of the wildfire on the coastal resort.

The blaze reached the sea, causing damage to homes. Approximately 300 people had to be rescued by boat after initially ignoring evacuation orders. A fire department spokesman described the challenging conditions, noting that some aircraft were redirected to a milder fire elsewhere due to the strong winds.

The winds are very strong. Aircraft are trying to operate as best they can, but some are unable to and have been transferred to another fire (in the Peloponnese) where conditions are milder.

— fire department spokesmanExplaining the difficulties faced by aerial firefighting efforts.

The environmental damage is extensive, with one meteorologist estimating the affected area to exceed 4,000 to 5,000 hectares. This incident is part of a broader pattern of wildfires across Greece this week, including on Crete and Paros, which have already claimed the lives of three firefighters. A maximum fire risk alert remains in effect for several key regions, including Athens, Crete, and central Greece.

The environmental damage is huge.

— Giorgos AnastasiouThe mayor of Thebes commenting on the scale of the destruction.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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