Athens, July 19 (IANS) Amid extreme heat, hundreds of firefighters continued for a second day to battle two major wildfires near Dervenochoria, some 30 km northwest of Athens, and close to the seaside resort of Loutraki, about 80 km southwest of the Greek capital, authorities said.
No injuries have been reported, but the blazes scorched forested areas and forced the evacuation of six settlements, Fire Service spokesperson Vasilios Vathrakogiannis said in a statement late Tuesday.
Greece expects two water-dropping aircraft from Italy and another two from France to assist in firefighting efforts, he said.
The fire, which started from Dervenochoria on Monday, has been fueled by strong winds measuring up to 7 on the Beaufort scale.
It expanded several kilometers to the south on Tuesday, approaching Mandra, a western suburb of Athens.
Weather conditions are forecast to remain difficult in the coming days and the risk of further fires in Attica and other regions of Greece remain high, Vathrakogiannis said.
“Our main concern is protecting human life,” fire service spokesman Yannis Artopios said.
A total of 81 wildfires have broken out across Greece since Sunday, but four blazes were the most challenging for the fire fighting forces, according to Artopios.
The first major fires raging near Athens this summer came following the first heatwave of the season.
Meteorologists have warned that the weather conditions are expected to remain difficult on Tuesday.
Strong winds and a second heatwave are forecast for later this week.
Greece has hit temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more in recent days.
The Acropolis in Athens — the country’s most popular tourist attraction — was closed during the hottest hours of July 15 and 16 to protect visitors.
It resumed its regular opening hours on Monday.
–IANS
ksk