Greek Firefighters Make Progress Containing Deadly Blaze

Hundreds of firefighters, aided by water-bombing planes and volunteers, have made significant strides in containing a devastating forest fire that has been burning for four days in southern Greece. The fire service reported that the blaze, which tragically claimed the lives of two residents on Sunday, is receding. Firefighting forces are now concentrating on extinguishing scattered smaller fires within the ravaged area.

According to satellite imagery released by Greece's weather service, the fire affected approximately 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) of rugged, mountainous terrain in the Corinthia region of the Peloponnese.

The fire service attributed the cause of the blaze to a local beekeeper who inadvertently started it while smoking out hives to harvest honey, despite warnings about the heightened wildfire risk. The man has been fined, and the case will be referred to judicial authorities.

On Wednesday, over 570 firefighters were on the scene, supported by 160 fire trucks and 11 aircraft. Italy and Croatia provided three of these aircraft in response to Greece's request for assistance from fellow European Union members.

As a precautionary measure, more than half a dozen villages were ordered to evacuate between Sunday and Tuesday. Thankfully, firefighters managed to prevent the flames from reaching these settlements. However, several outlying buildings have reportedly been damaged, and a historic church in the area was destroyed.

Like other southern European countries, Greece faces devastating and often deadly forest fires every summer. This year, climate change-induced drought, high spring temperatures, and summer heatwaves have resulted in a record-breaking number of over 4,500 blazes. Many of these fires have occurred outside the typical summer months when they are usually expected.

On Wednesday, the fire service reported another forest fire breaking out in the Peloponnese west of Corinthia, in the mountainous Kalavryta area. More than 40 firefighters and four aircraft are battling this new blaze.