Greece heatwave latest: New fire ‘every ten minutes’ amid hunt for arsonist and search for missing American
Searches ongoing for two French women and a retired US deputy county sheriff in Cyclades
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The Greek authorities are investigating whether wildfires that threatened to engulf Athens were sparked by a single arsonist.
Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said officials verified indications that the fire near Athens was the result of arson as well as extreme weather conditions.
A fire service spokesman has said the force is struggling to deal with the spate of blazes, adding: “Almost every 10 minutes a new fire breaks out.”
In Koropi, a storage facility and at least one home were burned, and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees. Authorities evacuated two nearby villages.
Amid the heatwave, several foreign tourists have died or gone missing while hiking in high temperatures. The girlfriend of a missing American tourist has criticised Greek authorities for allegedly doing little to help search for him.
Albert Calibet, 59, has been missing since last Tuesday while hiking on the island of Amorgos.
At least five tourists have been found dead on the Greek Islands in recent weeks.
Have you been affected by this? Email barney.davis.ind@independent.co.uk
Winds from North Africa are pushing a hot and dry front across the Balkans
New wildfire by Greek lake
Another wildfire broke out in a forest near Lake Volvi, in the Halkidiki area in northern Greece, on Thursday.
Some 37 firefighters with 16 vehicles have been dispatched to the area with one aircraft and a helicopter dumping water on the blaze.
A message from 112 was sent to local residents alerting them about the fire.
A fire service spokesman said told Greek TV fires were breaking out every ten minutes.
Temperatures set to hit 40C again today
Weather alert site meteoalarm.org has issued yellow and amber warnings for high temperatures across the country, which are in place throughout Thursday.
“Attica, Corinth, a large part of Argolida and Messinia, Viotia, southern Evia, as well as many islands of the Aegean (Lesvos, Chios, Cyclades etc) and southern Crete are at risk of forest fires,” according to a map created by the flame team at the National Observatory of Athens.
Thodoris Giannaros warned that the current weather “increase significantly the flammability of dead forest fuels” leading to the “perfect kindling for fire”.
Accidentally starting a fire now a criminal act - minister says
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias warned in a social media post that even accidentally sparking a fire in volatile conditions has become a criminal act.
He was commenting on the arrest of a 30-year-old Greek man on Tuesday for starting a wildfire in Nigrita, Serres.
Announcing the arrest, Kikilias said that the 30-year-old “confessed that while carrying out agricultural work, he caused the dangerous fire we faced in Nigrita, Serres.”
He added “the law has been made stricter and negligence constitutes a criminal act.”
Hellenic Rescue Team of Attica has released images as it battles fires spreading across Greece
‘Every ten minutes a new fire breaks out'
Firefighters are facing an uphill struggle containing new fires popping up all over Greece.
“Almost every 10 minutes a new fire breaks out,” a fire service spokesman said in a televised statement.
It came as Greece’s National Meteorological Service predicting winds as strong as 46mph over the rest of the week, further impeding firefighter’s efforts.
Temperatures in parts of the mainland were forecast to climb as high as 41C (106F) on Thursday.
“Even the smallest fire can rapidly turn into a fiery front,” Kikilias said in an X post, commenting on the arrest of a man who accidentally triggered a fire on Tuesday near the city of Serres in northern Greece.
Police have footage of arsonist 'sparking fire in dry weeds’
CCTV footage showing an arsonist setting fire to dry weeds is in the hands of Fire Brigade and Greek police investigators, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said.
“The fire spread very fast, but there are documented indications that its cause was not weather conditions alone,” Kikilias said, referring to high-velocity winds hampering firefighters.
“The Fire Brigade and Greek police investigators have visual material that clearly shows an arsonist setting fire to dry weeds on the Vari-Koropi road, while a can of petroleum and a cloth to ignite the fire were found nearby.
“When we have permission from the Fire Brigade and Hellenic Police’s Directorate of Managing Crimes of Arson, we shall release the material to the public.”
Firefighters remain on scene to prevent wildfire flare ups
Strong firefighting forces remain to prevent flare-ups, with 155 firefighters, four ground teams, 45 vehicles, six aircraft, and 12 helicopters currently deployed around Athens.
Two villages and three private schools near the town of Koropi were evacuated as a precaution, authorities said, with traffic cut off in the vicinity.
“Fire spread rapidly in the area due to very strong winds with gusts that reached force eight on the Beaufort scale,” equal to gale speeds of 62 to 74 kilometers per hour, fire department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis told the press.
With temperatures reaching 37C in the Attica region surrounding the capital, Greece’s civil protection services warned of a “very high” fire risk Wednesday and Thursday in several parts of the country.
Wildfires near Athens caused by arsonist - minister
Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said officials have verified indications that the fire near Athens was the result of arson as well as extreme weather conditions.
He said there is a video and photos of the suspected arsonist and authorities will publish them.
In Koropi, a storage facility and at least one home were burned, and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees. Authorities evacuated two nearby villages.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries.
Common symptoms of heat exhaustion as tourists die while hiking in Greece
Common symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
· A headache
· Dizziness and confusion
· Loss of appetite and feeling sick
· Excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
· Cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
· Fast breathing or pulse
· A high temperature of 38C or above
· Extreme thirst