Fires in Greece: forest fires under control

The fires raging across Greece are now under control or have already been extinguished, Greek Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilios Kikilias announced on public television. However, firefighters remain "on their toes" in an unpredictable state that depends, among other things, on the wind.

  

For the past two weeks, the country has been transformed into an oven of flames: "more than 660 fires recorded", most of which were quickly extinguished, but a dozen of which "reached vast proportions, putting everyone to the test", said Vassilis Kikilias, Minister of Climate Change and Civil Protection, on Friday.

 

For the past two weeks, the Mediterranean country has been engulfed in flames. The biggest fires are raging on the tourist islands of Rhodes, Corfu, Evia and in central Greece, in the Volos region on the east coast. Three civilians have been killed in the last ten days, while 667 forest and bush fires have broken out across the country. Two pilots were also killed in an accident aboard their Canadair. Seventy-four firefighters were injured.

 

In most cases, the cause of the fires was attributed to "negligent behavior", added the Minister, according to whom the fires were of criminal origin, without giving further details.