Greece battles wildfires with reinforcements

Athens, Aug. 8: Hundreds of firefighters in Greece, backed by planes, helicopters and reinforcements from other countries, battled massive wildfires that continued burning Sunday, fuelled by bonedry conditions after the country’s worst heat wave in decades.

Authorities dedicated the most resources to tackling four major blazes: One, on Greece’s second-largest island of Evia, that has burned for five days, cutting across the island from coast to coast and isolating its northern part; and three in the southern Peloponnese region.

A fifth dangerous fire just north of Athens appeared to be on the wane, after burning dozens of homes and businesses in the Greek capital’s northern suburbs, triggering the evacuation of thousands of people and decimating large tracts of forest, including in the Mount Parnitha national park, one of the last forests near Athens.

One volunteer firefighter

died in that blaze after suffering a head injury from a falling electricity pole. At least 20 people have been treated in hospitals for fire-related injuries, including two firefighters who were in intensive care.

The causes of the fires are under investigation. Three people were arrested Friday — in the greater Athens area, central and southern Greece — on suspicion of starting blazes, in two cases intentionally. Another person, a 47-year-old Greek, was arrested Saturday afternoon in the Athens suburb of Petroupoli for lighting two fires in a grove and setting four dumpsters on fire, police said.

Between Saturday night and Sunday, Greek coast guard vessels and ferries evacuated 83 more people from beaches in northern Evia.

Authorities urged the residents of four villages in north Evia to evacuate. On Friday night, more than 1,000 people were evacuated from the island by sea as flames raged on the hillsides behind them, cutting off other means of escape. Local officials and residents in north Evia called in to television news programmes on Saturday, appealing for more firefighters and waterdropping planes as the fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon raced north toward villages. The blaze has obliterated vast swaths of forest and burned scores of homes on the island.