Dozens of firefighters, backed by water-dropping planes, are battling a wildfire that broke out early Monday morning in the southern part of the Greek island of Evia, less than two weeks after a fiery inferno destroyed its northern part.
According to the Athens News Agency, the fire broke out near the village of Figia, where two neighborhoods were evacuated, and was moving toward the coastal tourist village of Marmari, where authorities were preparing boats to evacuate people in case of emergency.
Forty-six firefighters fought the blaze, blown by strong winds, with the help of 20 fire engines, three water-dropping planes and two helicopters, the Greek fire brigade said.
Authorities have boats on standby off the coast of Marmari. Evia is northeast of the capital Athens.
On Sunday, civil defense authorities declared a “very high risk” of fires in many areas of Greece on Monday.
Since July, wildfires have devastated the islands of Evia and Rhodes, as well as forests north and southeast of Athens and parts of the Peloponnese peninsula. Three people died as a result of the fires.
The government blamed the disaster on the worst heat wave in decades.
