Over 100 firefighters, supported by helicopters and planes dropping water, are fighting a significant wildfire that is raging near the main town on the eastern Aegean island of Chios. Emergency services have ordered the evacuation of approximately twelve areas.
According to the fire department, three separate fires erupted on Sunday morning and at midday near the town of Chios.
Strong winds have exacerbated the situation, making containment challenging for firefighters as the separate blazes merged into one large fire.
The fire department has dispatched an arson investigation team to the Greek island to investigate the cause.
Dozens of firefighters from Athens and Thessaloniki in northern Greece were transported by ship to reinforce the 100 firefighters already battling the blaze on the island.
Ten water-dropping helicopters and two firefighting planes provided aerial assistance until nightfall.
As night approached, local media reports showed footage and photographs of firefighters confronting towering flames consuming woodlands and farmland.
Wildfires are a common occurrence in Greece during the hot, dry summer months, but authorities attribute the increased size and frequency of these blazes to climate change.
In 2018, a devastating fire tore through the coastal town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping residents in their homes and on roads as they attempted to escape.
Over 100 people perished in that fire, including some who died while attempting to swim away from the flames.
