PSAROPOULI – Thousands of people have fled their homes on the Greek island of Evia as wildfires burned uncontrolled for a sixth day on Sunday.
Fires that threatened the northern suburbs of Athens in recent days died back somewhat. But the blaze on Evia quickly burgeoned into several fronts, ripping through thousands of hectares of pristine forest across its northern part, forcing the evacuation of dozens of villages.
Wildfires have erupted in many parts of the country during a weeklong heatwave, Greece’s worst in three decades, with searing temperatures and hot winds creating tinderbox conditions. Across the country, forest land has burned, and dozens of homes and businesses got destroyed.
Greece has deployed the army to help battle the fires. France, Egypt, Switzerland, and Spain have also sent help, including firefighting aircraft.(Reuters)
