06/19/2022 09:26 (act 06/19/2022 09:26)
A massive wildfire in the west of the island of Evia kept the Greek fire brigade in suspense Sunday night. Because of the strong winds, the flames spread quickly. In the morning, five firefighting planes and helicopters, as well as 150 firefighters with 32 firefighting trains were mobilized. A village was evacuated and residents of the region were also alerted by civil protection via SMS alert, the ANA news agency reported.
The second largest Greek island was one of the hardest hit by the devastating wildfires in the hot summer of 2021. At that time, tens of thousands of hectares of forest fell victim to the blaze. Since then, the government has improved firefighting. Other EU countries are also helping. As part of an EU aid programme, around 250 foreign firefighters will be stationed in Greece this summer. Foreign countries are also providing support by sending around 90 helicopters and firefighting aircraft.