At least one person has died and dozens of homes and farmlands have been destroyed as wildfires, driven by powerful winds, tore through multiple regions of Greece on Friday, from the outskirts of Athens to areas near Ancient Olympia.
In the small town of Keratea, southwest of the capital, firefighters found the body of an elderly man inside a burned structure, Fire Brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis confirmed. The blaze there raged through residential areas, with wind gusts reaching up to 80 km/h, making firefighting efforts nearly impossible.
Further west, in the region of Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, massive flames consumed olive groves and forestland. Another wildfire erupted on the popular tourist island of Kefalonia.
Much of the area around Athens has endured months without rain, leaving the landscape tinder-dry. Locals joined firefighters in battling the flames, some wearing only light masks against the heavy smoke. “The wind would push it back,” one Keratea resident told Reuters, describing the difficulty of containing the fires.
Authorities warn that strong winds are expected to persist through the weekend. Ancient Olympia’s vice-mayor, Georgios Linardos, told state broadcaster ERT: “If the wind doesn’t die down, we will have huge problems.”
The gale-force winds also disrupted ferry schedules from Athens’ ports. On the island of Milos, two Vietnamese tourists drowned after being swept out to sea, the coast guard reported.
Scientists have long classified Greece and other Mediterranean nations as part of a “wildfire hotspot,” with hot, dry summers creating ideal conditions for blazes. In recent years, climate change has made such fires more frequent and destructive, fueling calls for new strategies to protect vulnerable communities.
In southern France, authorities are also battling what is being described as the worst wildfire in decades, with flames largely contained but far from extinguished.
Reuters/s.s