Hazards

Greek authorities evacuated two villages in southern Corfu on Tuesday, as a wildfire was approaching houses, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported.

As Greek authorities continued with an investigation into the causes of a large wildfire that razed hundreds of hectares of forestland on the island of Evia last week, debate is intensifying about the need for a joint European firefighting fleet.

Greek authorities pressed on on Friday with an investigation into the causes of a large wildfire that ravaged large swaths of forestland on the island of Evia for three days earlier this week, questioning two suspects in a possible arson scenario, while also exploring the possibility that the blaze was not intentional. 

As efforts to tackle a big forest fire at a nature reserve on the island of Evia continued for a fourth day on Friday, authorities were examining indications that the ongoing blaze was caused by arson.

The overnight efforts of nearly 400 firefighters, aided by calmer winds, have confined the wildfire on the island of Evia into a gorge away from the village of Platania, which had faced an imminent threat Wednesday.

Aircraft and firefighters on the ground fought a blaze that burned large tracts of pristine pine forest on the Greek island of Evia on Wednesday as the wildfire flared up again at different spots.
A state of emergency has been declared in regions of the densely forested island east of Athens, after the blaze broke out on Tuesday, fanned by strong winds and high temperatures.

A large wildfire fanned by strong winds burned tracts of pine forest on the Greek island of Evia, firefighters said on Tuesday, with evacuation ordered of two villages in the path of the flames.

Wildfires raged uncontrolled in at least four other Greek regions, and the fire brigade said it had been called to put out 182 fires in the last three days.

Many are attempting erroneously to compare the fire that broke out at dawn on Monday at the borders of Paiania at the edge of Mount Hymettus to the disastrous wildfire in Mati last year that claimed the lives of over 100 people.
Every such incident is distinct and occurs in different weather conditions.

The Greek fire department's special arson section (DAEE) is investigating the causes of the wildfire that started in the eastern Athenian suburb of Peania early Monday morning and reached Mount Hymettus.

The fire broke out at 3:18 a.m. on Serron Street, where Peania borders with the forest, and was fanned by the strong winds in the area.

Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire burning container boxes with telecommunication and radio equipment on Mount Hymettus, near Athens. Some 141 firefighters aided by five firefighting aircraft and five helicopters fought the blaze that started after midnight in the city's eastern suburb of Paiania [Kostas Tsironis/EPA]