Emergency interministerial meeting at the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry on the wildfires

Greece requested that the European Civil Protection Mechanism be activated by the EU for help, and already Romania and Cyprus have responded, sending 56 firefighters with 10 fire engines from Romania and two firefighting aircraft air tractors from Cyprus, expected to arrive in Greece in the evening.

According to the latest information from the Fire Brigade representative Yiannis Artopios, a total of 65 wildfires broke out in the last 24 hours. 

The main wildfires that are currently in progress include Alexandroupolis, where the most difficult fire front is north of the village Nipsa and at the settlements Doriskos and Monastiraki. A total of 13 settlements have been already evacuated, while 59 fire engines with a 214-member crew, 11 teams of firefighters on foot, 10 firefighting aircraft and 7 water-dropping helicopters are battling the blaze.

The firefighting operations at Prodromos, Viotia, are focused on the firefront east of Sarantis beach, with 19 fire engines and a 74-member crew, 6 teams of firefighters on foot and 2 water-dropping helicopters operating in the area. 

A woman asked for help from the firefighters to find an elderly man that tried to save his sheep. The firefighters rushed to the site but they found him dead.
It is noted that the emergency number 112 had sent a warning message to the residents of the area.

The third major wildfire that broke out on Monday at Psachna, Evia island, is in progress between the areas of Profitis Ilias,Psachna and Artaki.

A message was sent by the emergency number to the residents of Notia Psachna and Voria Artaki to move towards Psachna and Artaki respectively. A strong firefighting force including 30 fire engines with a 92-member crew, 3 teams of firefighters on foot, 3 firefighting aircraft, 2 water-dropping helicopters assisted by 19 French firefighters with 4 fire engines are battling the blaze.

A wildfire is also in progress in Ano Drosini, Rodopi region.

"We are in state of emergency of category 5 as we will be also on Tuesday due to the very high temperatures and the gale force winds reaching up to 9 on the Beaufort scale," Artopios underlined.

Meanwhile, 112 sent a new message for the evacuation of another two villages, Avantas and Dialehto, in Alexandroupolis wildfire.