A series of wildfires that erupted and spread rapidly due to gale-force winds in Greece on Friday, from the eastern outskirts of the capital Athens to regions near Ancient Olympia, have been contained on Saturday morning.
At least one person died and homes and farmlands were destroyed from the major blaze that broke out in the town of Keratea, east of Athens. Firefighters discovered the body of an elderly man in a burned-out structure there, Greek Fire Brigade Spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said during a briefing.
The fire department’s theory is that the man likely did not notice the fire in time to escape and was subsequently trapped inside the building by the flames. The 76-year-old victim had reportedly lived in the building for 18 years, had no contact with his relatives, and lacked both electricity and running water.
At least 260 firefighters, supported by 77 vehicles, are working to contain the blaze, with numerous volunteers and civilians assisting in the affected areas. Several homes were destroyed or heavily damaged in the town of Nea Fokea, south of Keratea.
In the region of Ancient Olympia in the southwest of the country, huge flames devoured olive groves and forestland. Another fire broke out on the touristy island of Kefalonia.
Much of the region around Athens has seen barely a drop of rain in months.
Wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour fanned the flames, setting olive tree orchards alight. Homes were engulfed as locals wearing flimsy face masks assisted firefighters.
Witnesses said the wind gusts were so strong that dousing some areas was near impossible. High winds are expected through the weekend and beyond.
At Ancient Olympia, an extensive region in the western Peloponnese that includes the site of the first Olympic Games, firefighters were battling a blaze fanned by interchanging winds.
Gale-force winds caused extensive delays in the sailing of ferry boats from ports around Athens. On the island of Milos, two Vietnamese holidaymakers drowned at sea amid the high gusts, a coast guard official said.
High wildfire risk in Greece
The General Secretariat for Civil Protection has issued a “red alert” (risk category 5) for a number of areas due to conditions that are extremely favorable for the outbreak and spread of fires. The alert is in effect for:
- Attica (including Kythira)
- Central Greece (Boeotia and Evia)
- Peloponnese (Argolis, Corinthia, and Laconia)
A “very high” fire risk (category 4) is also in effect for eleven other regions, including parts of Western Greece, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades, Crete, and the Ionian Islands.
