A dozen villages were surrounded by flames on Wednesday on the island of Evia, 200 km from Athens, in the most violent of the multiple fires that hit Greece under the effect of an exceptional heatwave.
The huge flames emerging from the forest and visible from the sea testified to the virulence of the disaster which seemed uncontrollable, according to the firefighters, due to the rugged terrain and the lack of visibility.
As Rovies and endangered villages and hamlets were evacuated, some 85 people gathered on the beach Wednesday afternoon.
Five boats were made available to them.
Three firefighters were slightly injured while fighting the flames, authorities said.
"A battle of titans": 118 fires in 24 hours
A hundred firefighters, assisted by seven helicopters and water bombers, were mobilized to fight against this fire, whose front was estimated at about twenty kilometers, according to civil protection.
But "we are completely incapable of intervening neither by air nor by land", declared the vice-governor of the region, Dimitris Vourdanos.
“There are two main fronts that are out of control and several smaller ones,” he told the Kathimerini daily.
Under the effect of an exceptional heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, Greece has had to face 118 fires in the last 24 hours, according to Deputy Minister of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias.
“We are fighting a titanic battle!
", Declared Wednesday at a press conference the minister, who also specified that" the hardest was still to come ".
Near ancient Olympia, protecting heritage
A fire broke out near the village of ancient Olympia in the west of the Peloponnese peninsula, firefighters said.
"Everything that can be done to protect the museum and the archaeological site from the flames, where the Olympic Games began, has been accomplished," said Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni on Wednesday evening.
The flames are approaching dangerously close to the archaeological site of #Olympia in the Peloponnese.
The academy and the museum of Olympia are threatened.
Firefighters have struggled to control the blaze since nightfall and with the strong winds # Greece #Greece #fire pic.twitter.com/pa9YOLzkKr
- Alexia Kefalas (@alexiaKefalas) August 4, 2021
About a hundred firefighters were mobilized there, helped by three helicopters and two planes.
The mayor of ancient Olympia, Giorgos Georgopoulos, also denounced the lack of resources on Open TV: "We need more air support".
Under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, two firefighting planes from Cyprus and two from Sweden are to provide support to Greece.
Other fires were in progress in Chalkidiki (north) and in the south of the Peloponnese (west).
On the island of Rhodes, the disaster was brought under control on Wednesday.
In Athens, hard to breathe
A fire that broke out on Tuesday at the gates of Athens was about to be brought under control on Wednesday, after destroying nearly 1,250 ha of pine forest at the foot of Mount Parnes, according to Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias.
Firefighters will remain present overnight from Wednesday to Thursday to avoid any recovery, he noted.
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In Athens, the authorities recommended that everyone stay indoors as much as possible or wear a mask to protect themselves from ashes and particles. Dozens of people with respiratory problems have called for emergency services, according to health services.
