Fires near Athens under control as new blazes rage in Greece

Wildfires that raged near Athens over the weekend have been brought under control, firefighters said Monday, but new blazes have broken out elsewhere as authorities warn of a difficult fire season ahead.

Fanned by strong winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour and dry conditions, two fires broke out on Sunday in the seaside resort of Keratea, east of Athens, and in the wooded suburb of Stamata.

Authorities evacuated residents and a 45-year-old man died of cardiac arrest while trying to flee the flames in Stamata, police said.

The flames destroyed several houses and cars.

By Monday, firefighters had brought most of the flames under control, fire service spokesman Vasilis Vathrakogiannis said.

“The fires were brought under control by firefighters, supported on Sunday by water bombers and helicopters, who fought in very dangerous conditions,” he said.

He added that the weakening of winds had helped control most of the fires across the country.

A fire that broke out on Saturday afternoon in the region of Mount Parnassus, nicknamed “the lung of Athens”, was brought under control on Saturday evening with the help of reinforcements from other regions as well as volunteer firefighters.

But new fires are breaking out, with Greek firefighters recording 52 new blazes on Monday.

The worst of the fires is raging on the Aegean island of Chios, where 142 firefighters, seven planes and three helicopters have been deployed to try to extinguish the flames, Vathrakogiannis said.

Two firefighters were slightly injured during the operation, he added.

On the island of Kos, popular with foreign tourists, more than 100 firefighters and eight planes were deployed to fight a new blaze.

Local authorities have called on residents and visitors to evacuate several areas threatened by the flames.

The island's mayor, Theodosis Nikitaras, said on Facebook that public buildings would be able to accommodate residents and visitors fleeing the fires.

Tourist hotspot Greece is facing a difficult wildfire season after its hottest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.

Praising the work of firefighters, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the fires on Mount Parnitha and Stamata had burned less than 100 hectares (247 acres).

But he warned that the Mediterranean country had “now entered the heart of fire season”, calling on Greeks to do their part to prevent blazes.

“The fight against fires will continue… it will certainly not be won without the help of citizens,” Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting.

Scientists warn that human-caused fossil fuel emissions are worsening the duration and intensity of heatwaves around the world.

According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, rising temperatures are leading to longer wildfire seasons and an increase in the area burned by fires.

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