Firefighters battle to contain two wildfires near Athens
ATHENS, Aug 11 (Reuters) -Residents in two areas near Athens were ordered to evacuate on Sunday as dozens of firefighters battled to contain blazes fuelled by strong winds and hot temperatures.
Near the village of Varnava, some 35 km north of the capital, more than 190 firefighters were trying to contain a fire that had reached homes by late afternoon. They were backed up by 40 trucks, 11 water-bombing aircraft and five helicopters.
Fire crews were also tackling a fire in a forested area near the town of Megara, west of Athens.
The fires sent thick brown smoke over parts of Athens.
Several other regions across Greece were on high alert for fire risk on Sunday and Monday.
Hundreds of wildfires have broken out across Greece this summer, which just recorded its hottest June and July on record after its warmest winter. Like elsewhere in the Mediterranean, scientists have linked the increasingly hot, dry weather to climate change.
Kostas Lagouvardos, research director of the Athens Observatory, said the coming days were critical.
"What makes the situation so dangerous is the prolonged drought and very high temperatures that last for a long time," he told state broadcaster ERT.
Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
