ATHENS, Greece – A large wildfire in southern Greece claimed the lives of two people overnight as it swept through forestland near the seaside resort town of Xylokastro in the Peloponnese region, authorities reported on Monday.
Approximately 350 firefighters, supported by 18 water-dropping aircraft, have been battling the blaze since Sunday. Although the main fire front was brought under control, flare-ups continued, prompting evacuation orders for three villages. A section of the highway connecting Athens to the western port of Patras was shut down Monday night, with traffic rerouted to a smaller road.
Earlier, six villages had been evacuated as a precaution, but there was no direct threat to Xylokastro. The flames were driven by strong winds, exacerbated by the dry conditions resulting from a hot summer and warm spring, effects that officials link to climate change.
Authorities identified the two victims as residents who were reported missing on Sunday. No other individuals were reported missing, and there were no immediate reports of destroyed homes in the area, located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of Athens.
In addition to the Xylokastro fire, firefighters were also dealing with another blaze near Xerokambi in central Peloponnese and a now-contained fire near Andravida in the western Peloponnese.
Greece, like many southern European countries, faces frequent wildfires every summer, a problem worsened by global warming. This fire season, considered one of the most dangerous in the past two decades, has seen over 4,500 wildfires. Despite this, the total area burned is about 25% smaller than the annual average for the past 20 years, thanks to investments in firefighting resources such as water-bombing aircraft and warning drones.
In August, a devastating wildfire north of Athens destroyed numerous homes and claimed one life. Civil protection officials warned that areas such as Rhodes and other southeastern Aegean islands are at high risk for wildfires in the coming days.
