Volunteer firefighter dies battling Greece blaze
A volunteer firefighter has died while combating wildfires driven by gale-force winds in southern Greece.
The 55-year-old man sustained injuries in a blaze in the Ilia region on the Peloponnese peninsula and later succumbed in the hospital.
Fire brigade spokesman Vassilios Vathrakogiannis reported that around 45 wildfires ignited within hours of each other on Friday.
“All forces are making a superhuman effort to tame them,” he stated.
Wildfires are frequent in Greece, but authorities have warned of increasing risks due to dry conditions, strong winds, and temperatures reaching 40°C.
At a press briefing, Mr. Vathrakogiannis mentioned that civil protection forces would remain on high alert throughout the weekend.
“In some cases, wind velocity exceeds 95 km/h (59 mph), which complicates aerial approaches, and our pilots are expending every possible effort to reach the fire fronts safely,” he said.
Several villages in the south have been evacuated as a precaution.
Mayor of Pyrgos Stathis Kannis announced that evacuated residents would be accommodated in hospitality centers.
According to the newspaper Kathimerini, the country has been on high wildfire alert since Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a wildfire destroyed olive groves in the Moria region on the island of Lesvos.
On the same day, a water-bombing aircraft was deployed to put out a wildfire on the outskirts of Athens, and residents living in two settlements on the outskirts of the capital had to be evacuated.
Last year, more than 40 people died in Algeria, Italy and Greece and thousands were evacuated as Mediterranean wildfires threatened villages and holiday resorts.
Fires raged on the tourist hotspots of Corfu and Evia, while the entire island of Rhodes was put into a state of emergency.
