ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek firefighters battled a wildfire south of Athens on Sunday amid strong winds, just hours after they managed to bring blazes under control in mountains near the capital and on an island in the Aegean Sea.
Dozens of firefighters, supported by 17 water-carrying planes, struggled to put out fresh blazes in a sparsely populated area near the town of Keratea, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Athens.
Greek television showed at least one house on fire, with smoke rising into the sky from burning pine and olive trees.
Dozens of wildfires broke out over the weekend as much of Greece was hot and windy, with authorities advising people to stay away from forested areas.
Fires started Saturday when vegetation was low on the island of Serifos, and the fire spread quickly, driven by strong winds, destroying homes and prompting the evacuation of several villages.
The island’s mayor, Kostas Revinthis, told Greek television that the wildfire spread 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and destroyed holiday homes and warehouses.
Another fire in Mount Parnitha forest near a nature reserve outside Athens has been mitigated on Sunday morning, officials said.
Meteorologists said the strong winds were not expected to subside until late Sunday.
Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country but have become more destructive in recent years as summers have become hotter, drier and windier, which scientists have linked to the effects of climate change.
After last summer’s deadly forest fires and its warmest winter on record, Greece instituted a new principle that includes deploying extra fire engines for each new fire, speeding up air support and clearing forests.
