ATHENS: Greece on Monday said it had put the Mediterranean island of Chios under a state of emergency because of major fires that have raged since the weekend. Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis said the decision was made so the local authorities "can immediately take the necessary measures". Chios, in the northern Aegean Sea, is Greece's fifth-largest island and is currently facing five separate fire outbreaks.
Some 190 firefighters, 38 vehicles, 12 helicopters and four water-bombers have been deployed to tackle the flames, the fire service said. Kefalogiannis, who travelled to the island, said strong winds, estimated at force six on the Beaufort Scale were making the situation "very difficult".
Reinforcements were being deployed, he told Greek news site iEidiseis, adding: "If the wind dies down a bit we might be able to get this fire under control. "But the wind really hasn't dropped."
On Sunday, about a dozen localities and hundreds of asylum seekers at a reception centre were forced to move while on Monday, seven villages had to be evacuated. Greece is particularly vulnerable to fires during the summer months, fuelled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change. Forecasts predict a heatwave in the coming days, with temperatures of more than 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) expected, including in the capital Athens. — AFP
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