UA forest fire fanned by strong winds broke out on Sunday afternoon near Xylokastro in Corinth, 140 km west of Athens and authorities ordered the evacuation of a nearby village, according to firefighters.
“The fire has a long front” and “is difficult to control at the moment,” an official from the firefighters’ press office told AFP. Greek Civil Protection sent an evacuation message to residents of the village Pyrgos, close to the area affected by the flames.
Fifteen vehicles, seven bombers and three helicopters have been engaged so far in the fight against this fire, according to firefighters.
In total, 27 forest fires “have broken out across the country in the last 24 hours”, the majority of which have been brought under control, according to the same source. Civil Protection had placed several regions of the country on red alert for Sunday and Monday due to winds of “7 to 8 Beaufort”, or 50 to 75 km/h. Hit by drought and early heatwaves, Greece was once again prey to fires this summer.
The country’s worst forest fire broke out in mid-August just 40 kilometers northeast of Athens. It had spread to the suburbs of the capital, leading to thousands of evacuations and leaving one dead.
