Firefighters said Monday that forest fires that raged over the weekend near Athens had been brought under control. But new blazes have broken out in other places, and authorities are warning of a difficult fire season ahead.

Two fires broke out on Sunday in the seaside resort of Keratea, east of Athens, and in the forested suburb of Stamata, triggered by strong winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) an hour and drought conditions.

Authorities evacuated residents and a 45-year-old man died of a heart attack as he tried to escape the flames in Stamata, police said.

The flames destroyed several houses and cars.

By Monday, firefighters had managed to contain most of the flames, fire department spokesman Vasilis Vathrakogiannis said.

“The fires were extinguished by firefighters, supported on Sunday by firefighting planes and helicopters, who fought in very dangerous conditions,” he said.

He added that the weakening winds helped control most of the fires in the country.

The fire, which broke out on Saturday afternoon in the area of ​​Mount Parnitha – known as the “lungs of Athens” – was brought under control on Saturday evening with the help of reinforcements from other regions and volunteer firefighters.

However, new fires continued to break out, with the Greek fire service recording 52 new fires on Monday.

The worst fires were raging on the Aegean island of Chios, where 142 firefighters, seven planes and three helicopters were sent to extinguish the flames, Vathrakogiannis said.

He added that two firefighters were slightly injured as a result of the action.

On the island of Kos, popular with foreign tourists, more than 100 firefighters and eight aircraft were sent to extinguish another fire.

Authorities have urged residents and tourists to evacuate from several fire-prone areas.

The island’s mayor, Theodosis Nikitaras, said on Facebook that public buildings would be able to accommodate residents and tourists fleeing the fires.

Greece, a popular tourist destination, is struggling with a difficult fire season after its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis praised the fire service and said the fires on Mount Parnitha and Stamata had burned less than 100 hectares (247 acres).

But he warned that the country was “already in the thick of the fire season” and urged Greeks to do their part to prevent fires.

“The fight against the fires will continue… it will certainly not be won without the help of citizens,” Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting.

Scientists warn that fossil fuel emissions caused by human activity are lengthening and increasing the intensity of heatwaves around the world.

According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, rising temperatures are contributing to longer fire seasons and an increase in the area burned.

© 2024 AFP