Article author:
Reuters
Athens — A large wildfire broke out north of Athens on Monday, and authorities ordered the evacuation of a nearby coastal town as a precautionary measure.
Strong winds fueled the flames in the Suhimatari region, about 50 km (30 miles) from the capital, as temperatures soared.
Authorities urged residents to leave the town of Diresi as more than 100 firefighters, supported by four aircraft and two helicopters, fought the flames and operated local trains. It has stopped.
Paramedics were also trying to put out the fire in the Akaia region of the southern Peloponnese, where four villages had been evacuated.
Last year, a wildfire struck about 300,000 acres of forest and shrublands as Greece suffered the worst heat wave of 30 years.
The government has promised to improve its firefighting capabilities in response to sharp criticism of its response.
Dozens of Romanian and Bulgarian firefighters are stationed in Greece on Saturday and are the first members of the European Army to provide backup in case of a large wildfire in the summer. Has been deployed.
Greece's worst wildfire disaster killed 102 people in the summer of 2018 when a flame broke out in the seaside town of Matty and the area near Athens. (Report by Renee Maltezou, edited by Andrew Heavens)
