The fire on Evia (Euboea) island continued to burn on Thursday, forcing residents in the village of Kehries in the northern part of the island evacuate their properties.
Residents and visitors received instructions to evacuate via the 112 European Emergency Number, as wildfires on the island continued to burn uncontrolled.
A police patrol car and church bells warned residents to abandon their homes as the flames reached the outskirts of the village
People were told to move toward the area of Mantoudi in order to save themselves from a potential disaster.
⚠️ Ενεργοποίηση 1️⃣1️⃣2️⃣
🆘 Αν βρίσκεστε στις #Κεχριές Ευβοίας εκκενώστε τώρα προς #Μαντούδι
‼️ Δασική πυρκαγιά στην περιοχή σας@pyrosvestiki @hellenicpolice
— 112 Greece (@112Greece) August 5, 2021
The villages of Amelantes and Keramia had been evacuated in the early hours of Thursday as well.
These two villageslie north of the main fire front of Drymonas, in northern Evia.
The fire was fairly stable overnight, but beginning at 3:00 AM (local time) on Thursday the winds intensified and the fire began to approach houses of Amelantes.
Air quality poor across Mediterranean due to multiple fires
The multiple fires burning throughout the region will make air quality in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean very poor on Thursday, the National Observatory of Athens weather service Meteo said on Thursday after an analysis of satellite images.
The great number of forest fires, especially in Greece, Italy, and Turkey, are releasing huge quantities of fine particulate matter into the atmosphere and the smoke has spread as far as North Africa, the state-run AMNA news agency had reported earlier.
This, along with the large quantities of Saharan dust over the Eastern Mediterranean, reduces the air quality of the wider region significantly.
In some parts of Greece, the large concentration of microparticles combined with the humidity has created smoggy conditions and mist.
The quality of the air is expected to improve significantly from Friday once northwesterly winds become stronger over Greece and the broader Eastern Mediterranean.
Fires continue to burn around Ancient Olympia in addition to Evia
A large fire had broken out in the region surrounding Ancient Olympia earlier on Wednesday. Residents in five of the surrounding settlements, Herakleia, Pournari, Pelopio, Platanos, and Kafkania were ordered to evacuate their properties and find safe refuge elsewhere.
Fires also continue to rage in the broader area of Ancient Olympia, in the Peloponnese, where more villages had to be evacuated during the night.
A similar situation occurred in the neighboring regional unit of Messinia as well.
The villages Kourkouli, Skepasti, Amelantes, and Keramia on Evia also had to be evacuated for yet another time during the course of the night.
“The main new front took place behind the premises of the International Olympic Academy, but planes, helicopters, and fire trucks rushed there immediately,” the deputy regional governor of Elis Vasilis Giannopoulos said early on Thursday morning.
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