At least one person has been killed while homes and farmland were destroyed as wildfires stoked by ferocious winds broke out across Greece.
The worst blaze broke out in the small town of Keratea, southwest of Athens, where firefighters discovered the body of a man in a burned-out structure on Friday.
A fire brigade spokesperson said early on Saturday that the fire there was under control but not out, the Reuters news agency reported, as evacuations of at-risk areas continued with strong winds expected to last through the weekend.
Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed “a wildfire hotspot” by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach.
Much of the region around Athens has had barely a drop of rain in months.
More than 200 firefighters backed by 11 water bombers and seven helicopters were deployed to battle the Keratea blaze, Costas Tsigkas, head of the association of Greek firefighter officers, told ERT state television.
“It’s a difficult fire,” he said, citing gusts of wind and reporting that several communities had been evacuated.
Wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour (50 miles per hour) fanned the flames around Keratea on Friday, setting olive orchards alight. Homes were engulfed as locals wearing face masks assisted firefighters. Police went door to door late at night making sure that homes had been evacuated.
Dozens of people were evacuated late Friday from homes and an elderly care centre as the flames neared the nearby coastal resort of Palea Fokea.
Much of the Keratea area smouldered on Saturday morning, and images on local media showed houses gutted by fire.
Other blazes in the region of Ancient Olympia and on the island of Kefalonia appeared to have abated also.
Gale-force winds on Friday also caused the deaths of two Vietnamese tourists who fell into the sea at Sarakiniko beach on the Cycladic island of Milos.
The 61-year-old woman and 65-year-old man were on a cruise ship group visiting the beach, the Greek coastguard said.
“The man and woman were found unconscious in the sea and were taken to the local health centre,” a coastguard spokesperson said.
“The woman fell in the water and the man apparently tried to save her.”
The national weather service EMY said winds of up to 74 kilometres per hour (46 miles per hour) were forecast for Saturday, and the civil protection ministry placed several areas under the highest alert for wildfires, including the Attica region, which includes Athens.
The weather on Friday disrupted ferry travel for tens of thousands of people. A sailing ban on Athens ports was lifted on Saturday.
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