Greece continues to battle the largest fire of the year! More than 100,000 acres of land have turned to ashes, and there are casualties.

The fire that started in the Varnava region in Greece on August 11th has been reported as the biggest fire of the year in the country.

Nikos Lavranos, the President of the Greek Firefighters Federation, stated in a written statement that the fire in the Varnava region has been brought under control since yesterday evening with the decrease in the intensity of the wind. Lavranos emphasized that more than 700 firefighters have been assigned due to the size and complexity of the fire, and operational plans need to be updated frequently.

SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT COMPLYING WITH EVACUATION ORDERS

Lavranos pointed out that they consider this fire as the biggest fire of the year and said, "This fire was an unexpected development. It grew rapidly due to strong winds." Lavranos stated that some people who refused to comply with evacuation orders later found themselves trapped in their homes, endangering the lives of firefighters.

OVER 100,000 ACRES HAVE BEEN BURNED

News in the Greek media announced that more than 100,000 acres have burned so far, and three hospitals, two monasteries, and numerous settlements have been evacuated. The news stated that the country will remain in "high fire alert" until Thursday due to strong winds and temperatures expected to reach up to 40 degrees.

SUPPORT FROM TURKEY AND EU TO GREECE

Meanwhile, two firefighting planes and a helicopter sent by Turkey to support Greece in the fight against the fire arrived at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and reached Tatoi Military Airport. The Turkish teams will carry out firefighting operations from there. Aircraft, firefighting teams, and vehicles were also sent from France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Romania.

ONE PERSON WAS FOUND DEAD

It was reported that a burned body was found in Varnava, which started on August 11th and spread to Vrilisia due to strong winds. The woman is believed to be a 65-year-old employee trapped inside a building in an evacuated area.

In forest fires in Greece in 2023, at least 28 people died and more than 20 people were injured. In 2018, more than 100 people died, including those who drowned while trying to escape from the forest fire in the coastal town of Mati in the east of Athens.