Four villages in the northwest of the Peloponnese, near the city of Patras, were evacuated due to a major forest fire that broke out with scorching temperatures, Greek firefighters announced on Saturday.
95 firefighters, 33 trucks, four water bombers and helicopters were mobilized to fight this fire in the Zeria region, according to firefighters.
The authorities sent alert messages on cell phones to warn residents of the need to evacuate the villages of Zeria, Kamares, Achaias and Labiri.
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Late Saturday afternoon, a seaside resort, Loggos, was also evacuated as the fire spread to the coast.
The inhabitants and tourists were transported by the port police to the port of Aigio, a few kilometers from the village.
The hospitals of Patras and Aigio have been put on alert to receive possible wounded, as well as the coast guard so that they can rescue bathers who could be suffocated by the smoke.
The highway in the affected area as well as the Rio-Antirio bridge connecting the Peloponnese and mainland Greece were closed to traffic, according to the Greek news agency ANA.
Dryed up by the heat, the Greek forests are victims of fires every summer, fed by strong winds.
Greece has been facing a new heat wave since Friday, with temperatures hovering between 42 and 44 degrees according to weather services.
A few days ago, a fire ravaged Mount Penteli, near Athens.
In July 2018, 102 people were killed in the coastal town of Mati, near Athens, the worst death toll from a fire in the country.
