Hundreds of firefighters, supported by waterbombing planes and dedicated volunteers, are making significant progress in battling a deadly forest wildfire in southern Greece. The blaze, which has raged for four days in the rugged mountainous terrain of Corinthia in the Peloponnese region, has unfortunately claimed the lives of two local residents.
According to Greece's weather service satellite maps, the fire has affected approximately 6,500 hectares of land. The fire service reports that the main blaze is receding, allowing firefighting teams to focus on extinguishing smaller, scattered fires within the devastated area.
The cause of the fire has been traced back to a local beekeeper who inadvertently sparked the blaze while smoking out hives to harvest honey—a practice that had been previously warned against due to the high risk of wildfires. The beekeeper has been fined, and the case is now being handled by judicial authorities.
On Wednesday, around 570 firefighters were actively engaged in fighting the fire, supported by 160 fire trucks and 11 aircraft, including three from Italy and Croatia. These international teams were deployed following Greece's request for assistance from fellow European Union members.
As a precaution, over half a dozen villages were evacuated between Sunday and Tuesday. Thankfully, firefighters managed to contain the flames around these villages, though several outlying buildings sustained damage, and a historic church was completely gutted.
This wildfire season in Greece mirrors a troubling trend seen across southern Europe, where a combination of climate change-induced drought, high spring temperatures, and intense summer heatwaves have led to a record-breaking number of more than 4,500 fires this year alone. Many of these fires have erupted outside the typical three-month summer period, exacerbating the challenges faced by firefighting teams.
Adding to the concerns, another forest fire broke out on Wednesday in the mountainous Kalavryta area west of Corinthia. Over 40 firefighters and four aircraft are currently battling this new blaze, highlighting the ongoing struggle against increasingly severe wildfire conditions in the region.
Reference(s):
Greek firefighters make progress in taming deadly forest blaze
cgtn.com
