A new forest fire broke out in northern Greece, as authorities warned that Greater Athens, most of the southern Aegean Sea islands and Crete face a major risk of wildfire Thursday while firefighters can expect no respite for days to come.
The Fire Service said two water-bombing helicopters were assisting 28 firefighters battle a blaze tearing through a forest Wednesday near the village of Paraskevi in the Deskati area of Grevena.
Earlier, authorities formally confirmed that a blaze that broke out on the island of Salamina, just off Piraeus, the port of Athens, had been extinguished.
The fire that started Wednesday afternoon forced the evacuation of two settlements and initially raised fears it could spread into Greece’s main naval base – which, however, suffered no damage.
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas said Wednesday that so far this summer some 30,000 hectares of land have been lost to wildfires, among them 2,800 hectares of forest.
