Wildfires in Greece continued for the third day, in an area west of the capital Athens, today, Wednesday, as authorities brace for a new heatwave that is expected to create conditions conducive to more fires across the country. With the first light of day, water-dropping aircraft resumed operations over the towns of Mandara in western Athens and Loutraki near the Corinth Canal, which separates mainland Greece from the Peloponnese Peninsula. Firefighting teams made efforts overnight to contain the flames and keep them away from a coastal refinery complex. Authorities reported that four aircraft sent by Italy and France will participate in firefighting efforts today, Wednesday. The Fire Department reported a third fire outbreak on the island of Rhodes, but it remains far from residential areas for now.
A fire department official told Reuters that the fires approached residential areas this morning, but they are currently distant from the refinery complex, noting that "high temperatures and strong winds hindered the firefighting teams' efforts to control the fires." The flames have burned dozens of homes, and many fled from the raging fires that swept through small villages on Tuesday. Traffic was halted for hours on two roads connecting mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, which were partially reopened early Wednesday morning. The Greek meteorological service warned of an increased risk of further fires this week, forecasting a second heatwave arriving on Thursday. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to visit the national operations center to inspect the situation.
