Four villages in the northwest of the Peloponnese were evacuated due to a major forest fire that broke out with scorching temperatures, Greek firefighters announced on Saturday (July 31).
Dryed up by the heat, the Greek forests are victims of fires every summer, which are fueled by the strong winds which regularly blow over the country. Faced with this new forest fire, which broke out in the Zeria region, 95 firefighters, 33 trucks, four water bombers and helicopters were mobilized, according to the firefighters.
According to a provisional assessment of the Greek civil protection, a dozen houses burned down and five people were injured. With respiratory problems, they were transported to hospitals in the region.
The authorities sent alert messages on cell phones to warn residents of the need to evacuate the villages of Zeria, Kamares, Achaias and Labiri. At the end of the Saturday afternoon, the seaside resort of Loggos was also evacuated, the fire having spread towards the coast. Both locals and tourists were taken care of by the port police, who took them to the port of Aigio, a few kilometers from the village.
Hospitals on alert
The hospitals of Patras and Aigio were put on alert, as well as the coast guards, potentially brought to the aid of bathers who had been poisoned by the smoke. The Greek news agency ANA clarified that the highway crossing the affected area had been closed to traffic, as was the Rion-Antirion bridge, which connects the Peloponnese to mainland Greece.
Greece has been facing a new heat wave since Friday, with temperatures hovering between 42 and 44 degrees, according to weather services. A few days ago, a fire ravaged Mount Penteli, near Athens.
As of July 2018, 102 people were killed in the coastal town of Mati, near Athens. This is the deadliest death toll ever caused by a fire in the country.