By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 15 minutes ago, just updated
People stand in front of a house as a forest fire burns in Kouvaras, Greece, July 17, 2023. STELIOS MISINAS/ Portal
The fire that destroyed brushwood quickly spread to the south of the Attica region near Lagonissi, Anavyssos and Saronida.
A forest fire fueled by strong winds broke out in Kouvaras, 50 km east of Athens, on Monday, July 17, Greek firefighters said, while authorities ordered the precautionary evacuation of several coastal areas.
“It’s a heavy fire, the winds are very strong, up to 7 Beaufort (50-60 km/h),” said Yannis Artopios, spokesman for the fire department, as Greece has been experiencing a heat wave since Thursday, with the temperature peaking in the center of the country above 44°C.
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Evacuations as a precaution
According to local media, seven water bombers, four helicopters and 150 firefighters, including a team of 30 Romanian firefighters, fought on the two fronts of this fire. The fire that destroyed brushwood quickly spread to the south of the Attica region, near the coastal areas of Lagonissi, Anavyssos and Saronida, where second homes are plentiful.
A traffic standstill ensued on the surrounding roads in Kalyvia, shrouded in thick smoke. Authorities, as a precaution, asked residents to leave the monastery while one monastery was being evacuated. A fire also broke out near the Isthmus of Corinth, in a forested area near the famous seaside resort of Loutraki, Greek news agency ANA reported.
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strong winds
According to the same source, precautionary evacuations were also ordered there. According to the firefighters cited by ANA, ground and air forces have already been mobilized as strong winds are blowing in the area. Like part of Europe, Greece was hit this weekend by the first heatwave of the year, with a high of 44.2°C in the Thebes region (centre), according to the National Observatory of Athens.
In Athens, the temperature rose to 39°C on Saturday and the iconic Acropolis, the country’s most visited site, remained closed during the hottest hours of the day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday evening the thermometer began to drop slightly and the Ministry for the Climate Crisis warned of an “increased risk of fire” due to strong winds of between 50 and 60 km/h.
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While temperatures are expected to fall by 2 to 4°C by Wednesday, a new heat wave is expected from Thursday, with local highs of 43°C expected, according to the national weather service EMY. “We are in the middle of the firefighting phase and the expected conditions will be particularly difficult, favoring wildfires,” Yannis Artopios warned.
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