Greek emergency services continued to battle two major wildfires on Friday, July 31, with the most critical situation reported about 60 kilometres northwest of Athens, authorities said.
In that area, flames were spreading along a front stretching for several kilometres, according to officials. According to dpa, in the Agios Vasilios area, hundreds of people had to be evacuated by boat after being surrounded by fire.
A second major blaze was burning on the Peloponnese peninsula near Porto Heli, where numerous villages were evacuated as a precaution, state broadcaster ERT reported.
Firefighting efforts have been complicated by strong winds, which have limited the use of aerial resources. The fire service said aircraft and helicopters were only able to operate to a restricted extent due to the conditions.
On the island of Crete, the situation has improved significantly, although emergency crews remain on alert. Local media reported that firefighting operations were continuing, with civil protection authorities warning that no all-clear could yet be issued as strengthening winds could reignite flames at any time.
Earlier on Friday, fire officials said strong winds were hampering efforts to contain the largest blaze on Crete, with gusts spreading flames and igniting new hotspots.
Authorities added that many tourists had returned to the resort town of Agia Galini after conditions improved. Around 8,000 people had left the area in recent days due to heavy smoke or precautionary evacuations.
Officials warned that the wildfire risk remains high, with the highest alert level expected to remain in place across large parts of Greece on Saturday, August 1. Emergency services are set to stay on heightened alert as dangerous conditions persist.
By Tamilla Hasanova
