The wildfire in Corinth continues to rage. The situation is described as "extremely difficult," and firefighting forces are now battling the blaze primarily on the ground after aerial operations ceased at sunset.
The Fire Service states, "There is no single unified front, but rather forces are being called upon to tackle numerous scattered hotspots." Strong forces are operating at the scene, including 490 firefighters, 16 hiking teams, and 159 vehicles.
There is no unified front but many scattered hotspots.
According to Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, the most challenging main fronts are located in Sofia, Spataneika, Psathochori, Evrostina, and Mauro Oro. "We are facing a very difficult situation with the fire in Corinth. This is not the first time we have been tested in the Peloponnese," said the minister. Kikilias called for "calm, patience, and hard work."
Aircraft from the rescEU mechanism
The fire has activated the EU's mechanism of sending planes to assist. Specifically, following Greece's activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism yesterday afternoon, the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre immediately mobilized three firefighting aircraft from the rescEU mechanism.
The EU has also launched emergency satellite mapping through the Copernicus system to provide maps to local authorities. As it emphasises, the European Commission continues to monitor the fire risk forecast and is ready to mobilize more assistance if needed.
The fire started on Sunday (29/10) in the Rozena area and left two men aged 35 and 40 dead, as well as burnt forests, crops, and infrastructure. The extent of the fire front reached 32 km, while the flames reached close to the Patras-Corinth national highway.
The fire started on Sunday.
Why the fire spread: Difficult terrain, strong winds, and abundant fuel contributed to the rapid spread of the wildfire in Corinth, according to Nikos Lavranos, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Fire Service Employees.
Aerial means faced great difficulties.
Lavranos added, "The fire escaped after ten minutes. The winds were very strong. The gusts exceeded 80 kilometres per hour—no one can understand that number. So, the reasonable time window to attack the fire quickly was exceeded."
A first assessment According to Vassilis Kikilias, the initial assessment indicates an area of 40,000-50,000 hectares. "We believe we have protected many of our fellow citizens' properties. These villages are of 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 inhabitants and a little more in terms of their properties and houses. Still, the order of magnitude of a disaster is now part of the era, in what we are living and in the conditions we face," he noted.
700km away from the fire's epicentre The size of the fire front is such that the smoke from Corinth has reached as far as Crete, as seen in a satellite image posted on X by meteorologist and director of the National Meteorological Service, Theodoros Kolydas.
As he points out, due to the persistence of the northwesterly current, the smoke will be dispersed over a large part of Southeast Crete for the next three days, about 700km away from the fire's epicentre.
