A massive wildfire in Achaia near Patras, western Greece, spread to nearby homes and villages, fueled by strong winds in the area.
The emergency number 112 sent a message advising locals to evacuate Mireika in Palea Peristera, Aghios Stefanos, and Theriano, directing them towards the Patras industrial park.
Earlier, firefighting services were primarily focused on three major wildfires, located on the islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos, as well as in the Vonitsa area of western Greece.
On Kefalonia, a fire began in Faraklata but did not immediately pose a threat to residential areas. Residents of Faraklata, Dilina, and Davgata were nevertheless instructed to evacuate toward Myrtos. Aerial firefighting operations began at dawn to combat the fire burning through low vegetation.
A second large blaze on Zakynthos raged between the villages of Lithakia, Agala, and Kiliomenos. In response, all sixty of the island’s firefighters, along with ground and air teams, were deployed, and Agala’s residents were told to evacuate to Keri.
In Vonitsa, a third fire was burning in the Paliambela Forest, fanned by high winds. An evacuation warning was issued for the village of Varko. A large force of firefighters, ground teams, aircraft, and a helicopter were on site, and the local mayor reported that at least one house had burned. Additional smaller fires were also reported in other parts of Greece.
Greece promises to restore Corinthia after the wildfires
On Monday, Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou convened a meeting to discuss the restoration of regions in Corinthia recently affected by fires.
According to a ministry statement, the focus of the meeting, held three weeks after the catastrophic fire at the Feneos-Kastania region of Corinthia, was the protection of fire-afflicted areas from floods and their restoration, including anti-erosion works, as well as reforestation if necessary.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, Papastavrou said, “Our aim is to act speedily and help every area affected, every local community that lost its natural capital, in order to restore, heal, and mitigate the repercussions of catastrophic fires.”
Related: Greece’s Forests, Devasting Wildfires and Europe’s Broken Promise
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