Evacuations due to series of wildfires in Greece

Greek firefighters are caught up in a series of wildfires across the country. As a precaution, citizens have been displaced from their homes in various places. Nearly 300 wildfires were reported last week, 65 of which occurred in the past 24 hours.

The biggest fire was 40 miles[40 km]west of Athens. The blaze broke out Tuesday afternoon near the port city of Porto Germeno. Since then, more than 130 firefighters and 10 planes and helicopters have been battling wildfires.

According to local officials, strong and often variable wind direction makes the operation more difficult. As the night progressed, the flames began to recede. A village was evacuated near a forest fire. An unoccupied house burned down, Public Radio reported.

See various images of forest fires in Greece here

Earlier in the day, firefighters caught another large fire. This was near the town of Eti, about 100 miles[100 km]west of Athens. Here too many residents had to leave their homes. About 300 acres[300 ha]of olive trees were burned.

A hotel near the Cranidi Beach Resort in the Peloponnese region was unveiled on Monday. No one was injured in the blaze.

The Greek fire brigade receives assistance from other European countries. Firefighters from Bulgaria and Romania have been deployed in Greece as part of a European cooperation plan. Over time, an additional 200 firefighters should be able to assist during the wildfire.

Greece is exposed to wildfires every year. A.D. In 2018, more than 100 people died in wildfires. Since then, the Greek government has been wary of such dangers.

Due to strong winds and dry and hot weather, the most dangerous fires are in large parts of the country until Wednesday. It includes a ban on the barbecue and does not allow people to light fires.