Greece. Fires remain active, 2,500 people evacuated

Greece is battling several forest fires this Friday that have already forced the evacuation of around 2,500 people from the areas affected by the fires, according to local authorities.

A large fire in the south of the country has already burned more than 1,200 hectares of forest, a fire department spokeswoman told the EFE news agency.

Around 360 firefighters, with 75 trucks , are trying to control the fire, which broke out last Tuesday in the southern region of Corinth, where six planes and a helicopter are continuously transporting water.

An incident occurred this Friday involving a Greek Air Force Canadair tanker aircraft operating in the area. The aircraft, operated by two officers, was refueling in the Gulf of Corinth when it suffered a mechanical failure and was unable to gain altitude after refueling, a fire department spokesperson said.

The plane is equipped with floats that have been deployed, and authorities are currently waiting for a team of technicians to repair it and allow it to continue fighting the fire.

This is the second incident involving aerial firefighting equipment in three days, as last Tuesday a firefighting helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on the outskirts of Athens.

The fire in the Corinto region has already forced the evacuation of around 2,000 people from a dozen cities.

Although firefighters have managed to partially control the flames several times, they are constantly rekindling, fueled by strong winds. Currently, small, scattered fires are being fought within the fire's perimeter, with no broad, active fire front.

However, strong northerly winds are expected again in the coming hours, a fire department spokesperson explained. At least 25 homes and farms near the town of Kastaniá suffered severe damage, and properties in other nearby villages were also affected, the Dnews portal reported.

A Greek judge on Thursday ordered the pre-trial detention of two men accused of starting a fire. The two were cutting iron bars on a plot of land in the middle of the forest, which they were using to build prefabricated wooden houses, which started the fire, according to the newspaper Kathimerini.

Meanwhile, more than 50 firefighters, with 17 fire trucks , are battling another forest fire this Friday, for the second day in a row, which broke out in southern Albania and spread on Thursday to neighboring Greece.

Authorities evacuated the villages of Neochori and Ktismata (north), with a total population of about 500 people.

Currently, "the situation has improved considerably" and, for now, aerial firefighting operations are not necessary for this fire, said the fire department spokeswoman.

Greece has been facing its third intense heat wave of the summer since Monday, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius in several areas and cities in the center of the country.

The heat wave will persist until at least next Monday. This Friday and Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius in several areas of mainland Greece, according to the National Meteorological Service (EMY) forecast.