A large fire broke out on Saturday in a forest at Nea Styra, in the Karystos area on the island of Evia. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Inhabitants of the village of Niborio had already started fleeing their homes by the time the first fire-fighting vehicles reached the fire and an evacuation was then ordered for safety reasons.
According to the initial information, the fire very grew quickly and spread to nearby woods close to the settlement due to very strong winds blowing in the area.
Fire-fighting forces are being sent from all over Evia and mainland Greece – from Livadia, Thiva and Lamia – as the strong winds did not allow the three aircraft sent to the area to get near enough to douse the flames from above.
Four fires burning in Elefsina and Aspropyrgos as fire in Varnavas rages
Four fires, all in areas of dried grass, were burning simultaneously in different locations in the western Attica towns of Elefsina and Aspropyrgos on Saturday, while a forest fire in Varnavas, in the northeast of Attica was still raging unchecked.
The traffic police had closed roads to Western Attica and to the Varnava area, while fire brigade forces were constantly on the move to prevent the fires spreading.
In addition to the fire in Patima, Elefsina reported earlier, fires also broke out on the road toward Dervenochoria in Magoula, on NATO Avenue and Troias in Aspropyrgos and in Roupaki, also in Aspropyrgos.
A total of 56 fire fighters, two teams on foot, the motorised fire brigade team METPE, a helicopter, two airplanes and municipality water trucks were mobilised to put out the fire.
The traffic police have closed roads on Zoodochos Pigis Avenue in Aspropyrgos from NATO Avenue to the Papastratos factory and the Elefsina-Dervenochoria road from the Kanaki factory. Also closed due to the fire in Varnavas is the Marathona-Kapandriti rural road from Athinon road to Riga Fereou Road (Varnavas Avenue) and from Miltiadi Manta in the lanes toward Varnava, on 25th Martiou Road and Nisou Serifou heading for Varnava and on Unnamed road at the village Vothona, heading toward Grammatiko.
