An evacuation by sea was in progress Friday afternoon at Agios Vasileios, a coastal settlement in the central Greek regional unit of Viotia on the Gulf of Corinth, as about 500 residents and visitors flee a fast-moving wildfire that has surrounded the village.
Evacuees are being transported with Coast Guard boats, Fire Department vessels and private boats operated by local residents and fishermen from the village port to the nearby beach of Livadostrata, where they are being taken to safety. Regional authorities said at least 200 people had been evacuated by 2:30 p.m.
The operation shifted almost entirely to the sea after flames cut off the main access road and encircled the settlement. An earlier attempt to evacuate people via an unpaved road was abandoned after the fire blocked that route as well.
Authorities said the village was hosting not only permanent residents but also hundreds of visitors, including passengers from two or three tourist buses that had arrived earlier in the day. Thick smoke driven by strong winds has blanketed the coastline, creating choking conditions as people gathered at the harbor awaiting rescue.
Earlier, the neighboring settlement of Kalamaki was also evacuated. A 112 emergency alert had instructed residents and visitors to leave toward Kaparelli, but the rapidly advancing fire complicated road access.
