Firefighters in Greece gained ground Thursday against a wildfire outside the third-largest city of Patras, while water bombers battled blazes on three other fronts.
The situation in the country’s main port to Italy was much improved after an overnight struggle, fire department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said in a televised address.
Firefighters in Patras were facing “scattered” pockets but the fire was “still active” in the eastern outskirts of the city of over 200,000, he said.
Officials on Wednesday had evacuated a children’s hospital and a retirement home as the fire had moved dangerously close to the western Greek city.
Flames and dark smoke billowed over a cement factory that was set alight by the wildfire that swept through olive groves and forests and disrupted rail traffic on the outskirts of the city.
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“What does it look like? It looks like doomsday. May God help us and help the people here,” said Giorgos Karvanis, a volunteer who had come from Athens to Patras to help.
Other important fires continued to burn Thursday on the Ionian island of Zakynthos, the Aegean island of Chios and near the western city of Preveza, the spokesman said.
In both Chios and Cephalonia, both popular with tourists, authorities told people to move to safety as fires spread.
Some 600 ground crews and nearly 30 water bombing aircraft were deployed from dawn in all locations.
Reduced wind intensity was aiding firefighting efforts.
Greece this summer has faced several major forest fires amid high temperatures which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying.
With AAP and AFP
