On August 8, 2021, on the fifth day of a wildfire in the area north of the island of Evia in Greece, the fire encircled the village of Gouvesi on the island of Evia. (Photo: Dimitris Lampropoulos/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
- Two fires broke out not far from the wildfires that broke out earlier in the summer, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
- Now, firefighters are trying to control the fire, because the strong wind blows them away, forcing more people to evacuate.
- Civil defense authorities warned on Sunday that the risk of fires in many areas of Greece on Monday was “very high”.
On Monday, dozens of firefighters struggled to contain two new wildfires in Greece as strong winds fueled the fire and forced the evacuation of several villages and communities.
Both fires occurred not far from the devastating wildfires that swept parts of Greece earlier this summer, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes and destroying property, wildlife and livestock.
Scientists warned that due to man-made global warming, extreme weather and violent fires will become more and more common, and the Prime Minister of Greece linked fires to climate change.
In the early hours of Monday morning, the first fire broke out in the southern part of the island of Evia in the northeast of the capital Athens. The Greek fire brigade said that the fire was basically under control at noon, but it has not yet been under control.
Two communities were evacuated, and several ships were at sea to help control the fire.
A second fire broke out on Monday in Veria, about 60 kilometers northwest of Athens, in a dense woodland.
The Greek police blocked traffic on the nearby highway because high winds fueled the fire, and as a precautionary measure, two villages in the area were evacuated.
Government spokesman Yiannis Oikonomou said on Monday:
As long as there is a front line, the battle against the fire will continue.
“We have started to repair the damage and provide practical support to those affected,” he added.
Civil defense authorities warned on Sunday that the risk of fires in many areas of Greece on Monday was “very high”.
Since July, wildfires have ravaged the islands of Evia and Rhodes, as well as forests in the north and southeast of Athens, and parts of the Peloponnese Peninsula. Three people were killed in the fire.
Earlier, a fire in Evia burned for more than 10 days and destroyed large tracts of land, while another fire that struck Vilia lasted for 6 days and was not declared under control until Saturday.
