New wildfires broke out Monday in southern Greece as a major effort involving 200 firefighters southeast of Athens largely tamed a blaze that destroyed an abandoned poultry farm and forced evacuations.
The Fire Service said a fire was coursing through scrub near the village of Kotteika in the western Peloponnese, with seven water-bombing aircraft flying sorties to help 30 firefighters with eight fire engines and volunteers.
Shortly earlier, a scrub fire near the town of Gastouni in the same part of the Peloponnese mobilised three aircraft, 25 firefighters and volunteers.
According to civil protection forecasts, much of central and southern Greece, including the Greater Athens region and many of the Aegean Sea islands, faces a high risk of wildfire Tuesday.
Authorities on Monday declared a category-4 threat on a five-notch scale for Attica and the adjoining island of Evia, as well as Viotia and the northeastern Peloponnese, the southeastern Peloponnese, the Cyclades and the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Ikaria, Samos and Psara.
