Several fires are declared this Tuesday in Greece and spread due to the strong wind

Vienna.- Greek firefighters are battling on Tuesday to contain the flames of several fires that, declared in the early hours of Tuesday in different parts of the country, are spreading fanned by strong winds. A house was burned down by the fire that broke out in a forest area of the municipality of Aktio-Vonitsa, in western Greece, as reported to public television ERT by the mayor of the town, Athanasios Kasolas.

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Due to the strong winds, this fire has spread to a large scale, so residents were asked to be prepared to evacuate the area. In the early hours of today, the fight against the flames began with nine planes and a tanker helicopter. By land, "85 firefighters are operating with 3 hiking teams and 27 vehicles," the Fire Department indicated in a statement published on social media. In Zante, a Ionian island, 60 firefighters with 17 vehicles and two water-bombing aircraft are battling a wildfire that is also burning agricultural crops between the towns of Litahkia, Agala and Kiliomenos. "The entire island's fire department is operating at the scene, with the assistance of volunteers and the Municipality's Civil Protection," reported the Greek newspaper Kathimerini. According to the Fire Department, there are currently 60 firefighters and three teams of hikers fighting to contain this fire, with air support from four planes and a tanker helicopter. Another large fire broke out around 03:00 local time (00:00 GMT) this Tuesday in an area near the small town of Faraklata, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, without threatening residential areas so far, according to the president of the homonymous community, Evangelos Marinakis, who declared it to ERT. However, as a precautionary measure against this fire that is burning low vegetation, the authorities sent messages to the population of Faraklata and two other towns asking them to move to Myrtos beach. Another fire broke out on the morning of this Tuesday in the region of Fokida (Central Greece), involving 30 firefighters and a special forest operations unit, who are trying to control the flames with 8 vehicles and a helicopter. In the last 24 hours alone, Greece has faced 70 wildfires, 21 of which were declared since yesterday, Monday, at noon. Firefighters remain on high alert, as strong winds and temperatures around 35 degrees continue to worsen the conditions favorable to fire.