Tourists and residents were evacuated from a popular resort on the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday after a forest fire destroyed homes in the village of Vatera.
Firefighters deployed nine planes and a helicopter to fight the blaze. The fire, which broke out at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, was spreading on two fronts, one towards the village of Vrisa and the other towards the interior of Vatera. At least two houses were ravaged by the flames, according to state television ERT.
A burning beach bar on the island of Lesbos. [Elias Marcou – Archyde.com]The mayor of Lesbos West, Taxiarchis Verros, ordered the evacuation of the bustling resort town as a precaution, on the advice of firefighters, Greek news agency ANA reported. He did not specify the number of people evacuated, but several buses and small boats took part in the operation.
Massive fire in northeast Greece
On Saturday, firefighters were also carrying out their third day of fighting a violent fire in Dadia National Park, the country’s largest Natura 2000 site, known for its colony of vultures, in the Evros region, in the northeast of Greece.
Firefighter spokesman Yiannis Artopoios said on Saturday afternoon that the fire was “exceptionally difficult”, but it “looks better in the northeast”.
A total of 320 firefighters and 68 devices have been deployed since Friday evening, as well as 13 ground teams, and a very large number of volunteer firefighters. In addition, six water bomber helicopters and nine helicopters operate in the sky.
afp/vkiss
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