Athens, Greece. Greek firefighters battled on Sunday to contain a major wildfire northwest of Athens that destroyed more than 100 homes, while another fire prompted evacuations on the Ionian island of Kefalonia.
Fire near Porto Germeno
The wildfire around Porto Germeno, on the Gulf of Corinth about 60 kilometres northwest of Athens, was fuelled by gale-force winds. Although the winds later subsided, flames crossed a mountain to the south and reached the settlement of Veniza and a military firing range, activating unexploded ordnance.
Nearly 500 Greek firefighters, supported by vehicles, heavy machinery and firefighting aircraft, were deployed to the area. Firefighters from France and Romania also reinforced the operation.
In the village of Agios Konstantinos, residents attempted to stop the fire from spreading.
“The fire has been burning since last night, it is certain that they cannot have forces everywhere. We as residents are doing everything we can,” said Tasos Tzempelikos, 61, who was pouring water on the fire with his son.
Greek daily Protothema reported that efforts were under way to stop the fire from reaching the nearby coastal town of Megara. It said more than 10,000 hectares of land may have been destroyed.
Kefalonia evacuations
Several settlements on Kefalonia were evacuated overnight after a fire broke out in the Pastra area in the south of the island.
Wildfires across Europe
Europe has faced widespread wildfires this summer following record heatwaves and limited rainfall, conditions scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change.
Wildfires in France’s Gironde and Var departments showed signs of easing over the weekend. Authorities reported minor flare-ups in Gironde and said the fire in Var had not spread overnight.
