Villages were forced into evacuations after a massive fire broke out in Corinthia, with two individuals detained in relation to the blaze.
Firefighters were hard at work trying to battle the major wildfire that broke out west of Lake Stymfalia on Tuesday, which led to many evacuation orders to residents of the villages in the wider area.
Reports state the fire started around 3.15pm local time in a forested area near the village of Kastania, where residents were urged to evacuate towards the village of Stymfalia.
In an announcement posted on social media shortly after 6pm, Sikyona Mayor Sypros Stamatopoulos said “the village of Kastania is burning”.
Stamtopoulos urged residents in the villages of Lafka and Karteri to evacuate, a call that extended to residents in the villages of Drossopigi, Stymfalia, Kionia and Matsiza in subsequent messages.
Over 180 firefighters, 15 planes and 12 helicopters were tackling the wildfire in a pine forest in the mountains near Corinth, the fire department said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Two individuals have been detained in connection to the Corinthia wildfire with witnesses reportedly seeing the suspects performing hot work, such as grinding and welding metal structures, near the fire’s point of origin.
Authorities are investigating whether these activities sparked the blaze.
The firefighting outfits have been reinforced to contain the fire, which remains out of control and is spreading rapidly.
Weather conditions have been particularly tough for firefighters with a heatwave seeing temperatures rise to around 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of Greece.
A firefighting helicopter had reportedly crashed earlier that day into the sea and sank while attempting to take on water to tackle a separate fire near Athens, with the three crew members rescued and transported to a hospital.
