500 firefighters battle major wildfire west of Athens as Kefalonia evacuations ordered

Hundreds of firefighters worked for a third consecutive day on Sunday to contain a major wildfire that has destroyed dozeKefalonians of homes west of Athens, while a separate blaze on the island of Kefalonia prompted multiple evacuation orders.

Authorities arrested two people on suspicion of negligence in connection with the fire west of Athens. The blaze is believed to have been sparked by cables linking a wind farm to the main electricity grid; the two men were involved in the wind farm’s construction and face criminal charges.

Strong and unpredictable winds continued to hinder firefighting efforts. Authorities remained on high alert for new outbreaks in the greater Athens area, which, along with the island of Evia, faced a category-4 wildfire risk on a five-level scale.

The fire that raged on Saturday in and around the coastal town of Porto Germeno, about 70 kilometers west of Athens on the Gulf of Corinth, was advancing toward Megara on Sunday. Roughly 500 firefighters supported by 134 fire engines worked to stop its spread. Eight water-dropping aircraft joined the operation at first light. Ground crews also included two teams of 23 firefighters and four engines each from France and Romania.

On Kefalonia, a fire near the village of Pastra led to the evacuation of Pastra, Kremmydi, Markopoulo, Katelio, Kato Katelio, Chionata, Thiramona and Mavrata. Thirty-one firefighters with seven engines were battling the flames on the ground.

Smaller fires were also burning in several other parts of the country. A series of destructive wildfires struck Greece last week amid gale-force winds, claiming the lives of three firefighters on Crete and in the southern Peloponnese.

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