Strong winds are fanning new forest fires in Greece

On Friday, Greek firefighters continue to battle wildfires in various regions of the country. At the same time, authorities have warned of an extremely high fire danger level across most of the country due to challenging weather conditions and strong winds.

The most serious fire remains in the Agia Paraskevi area in the southern part of the island of Crete, where storm-force winds are hampering firefighting efforts.

Ground crews worked through the night, and as the first rays of sunlight appeared, firefighting aircraft resumed operations. Authorities stated that protecting nearby communities remains a priority, as shifting winds are constantly creating new fire fronts.

New wildfires have also broken out in Achaea in the northwest of the Peloponnese and in western Greece. Authorities sent an emergency alert via the 112 system to the cell phones of residents in the affected area of Achaea, and firefighters set out to contain both blazes with the support of aircraft.

Officials noted that weather conditions continue to contribute to the rapid spread of the fire.

Elsewhere, the situation has improved: after several hours of firefighting on the Aegean islands of Andros and Kalymnos, the fires were brought under control. However, crews remain on high alert due to the risk of flare-ups.

This was reported by Ekathimerini.

Forest fires in Greece have claimed the lives of three firefighters.

Greek authorities have temporarily suspended outdoor manual labor and certain delivery services in regions where extreme heat is expected. Violators of the new restrictions face fines.