Firefighters in Greece battle new wildfires near the capital city Athens

Firefighters in Greece battle new wildfires near the capital city Athens and on the island of Evia.

Greek authorities say they are battling fresh fires near the capital city Athens and on the island of Evia. The first broke out today, Monday, August 23, morning on Evia, which was decimated earlier this month by a blaze that burned for more than 10 days, destroying hectares of land and hundreds of homes.

Two complete neighbourhoods have been evacuated in Fygia as strong winds complicate efforts to contain the flames.

A second fire was reported to be burning in the Vilia area northwest of Athens, where a major blaze was brought under control on Friday after burning for five days.

The fire was last reported moving towards the seaside resort of Marmari, 200 km northeast of Athens, where authorities were also preparing to evacuate the population by boat, according to the Athens News Agency (ANA).

Greece’s fire department had scrambled firefighting helicopters, water bombers, and ground forces to assist with the effort.

In total, more than 116,000 hectares have been burnt in Greece since the end of July. Hundreds of homes and small businesses have been destroyed in Evia, in parts of the Peloponnese, and on the outskirts of the capital.

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