A wildfire on Friday claimed at least one life and destroyed homes and farmland in a town near Athens, as Greek firefighters battled multiple blazes at the start of what is expected to be several days of gale-force winds, officials said.
In Keratea, 30 kilometres southwest of the capital, the Greek Fire Brigade deployed 11 planes, 12 helicopters, and 170 firefighters.
Residents were ordered to evacuate as much of the area has seen almost no rainfall for months. Wind gusts reaching up to 80 kilometres per hour fanned the flames, igniting olive orchards and engulfing houses, according to images shown in local media.
Firefighters discovered the body of an elderly man in a burned-out structure, Fire Brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis confirmed to SKAI TV. “The fire is advancing. In some places, only aerial firefighting is possible,” Yiannis Schizas, a Civil Protection official in the area, told SKAI TV.
“There is too much wind. It is becoming a mess,” he added.
High winds are forecast to continue through the weekend and into next week.
Firefighters discovered the body of an elderly man in a burned-out structure, Fire Brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis confirmed
Blazes spread to Kefalonia
On the tourist island of Kefalonia, in western Greece, another wildfire was burning out of control, destroying forests and farmland, according to authorities and local media. Scientists describe Greece and other Mediterranean nations as part of a “wildfire hotspot,” where hot, dry summers make such blazes common. These fires have grown more destructive in recent years due to rapid climate change, prompting calls for new firefighting strategies.
