40 FIRES BREAK OUT WITHIN JUST A FEW HOURS

ATHENS, AUGUST 25 /SRNA/ - Nearly 40 new fires broke out across Greece within a few hours, the Greek firefighters said.

The largest fire is on the island of Salamis, home to the Greek Navy’s largest naval base. The base is not under threat, firefighters said.

The fire spread through a ravine and was tackled by numerous aircraft and helicopters. Large numbers of professional and volunteer firefighters have been deployed, state broadcaster ERT reported.

Due to a wildfire in the Boeotia region of central Greece, residents in areas around the villages of Agios Vlasios and Tsoukaledes were ordered to evacuate this afternoon.

The fire has engulfed low vegetation, and 58 firefighters with 17 vehicles are involved in firefighting efforts, Kathimerini reported.

Earlier, 14 aircraft and four helicopters had been deployed to tackle the fire from the air.

The risk of wildfires remains high across much of Greece due to drought, the Civil Protection authorities said.

Temperatures in central Athens reached 40 degrees Celsius today, and the current heatwave is forecast to persist until the beginning of next week.