(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
AFP
Athens: Forest fires that raged in the outer suburbs of the Greek capital over the weekend have been brought under control, firefighters said Monday.
Fanned by strong winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) per hour and dry conditions, two fires broke out Sunday in the seaside resort of Keratea, east of Athens, and the wooded suburb of Stamata.
Authorities evacuated residents and a 45-year-old man died of cardiac arrest while trying to flee the flames in Stamata, Police said.
The flames destroyed several houses and cars.
By Monday, firefighters had brought most of the flames under control, said fire department spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis.
"There is no longer an active front," he said.
"The fires were contained by firefighters, supported on Sunday by water bombers and helicopters, who fought in very dangerous conditions."
He added that the easing of the winds had helped control most of the fires across the country.
A wildfire which ignited Saturday afternoon in the area of Mount Parnitha -- known as "the lungs of Athens" -- was brought under control Saturday evening with the help of reinforcements from other regions as well as volunteer firefighters.
Greece, a tourist hotspot, faces a tough wildfire season after its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures hitting 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
Praising the fire service's work, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the Mount Parnitha and Stamata blazes had burnt fewer than 100 hectares (247 acres).
But he warned that the Mediterranean country had "now entered the heart of the fire season", calling on Greeks to do their bit to prevent blazes.
"The fight against fires will continue... it will certainly not be won without the help of citizens," Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting.
Scientists warn that fossil fuel emissions caused by humans are worsening the length and intensity of heatwaves around the world.
Rising temperatures are leading to extended wildfire seasons and increasing the area burnt by the blazes, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
MENAFN01072024000063011010ID1108394759
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.