State of emergency declared as 56 wildfires break out across Greece

‘Superhuman efforts’ are under way in Greece to try to put out a huge fire on the island of Evia. The country has declared a state of emergency after it was hit with 56 wildfires in the space of just 24 hours. The flames have been fanned by gale-force winds and temperatures that have now hit 40C. Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to extinguish the fire on Evia, Greece’s second-biggest island, after it first broke out at 3am on Tuesday. Four villages have been evacuated while acting regional governor Costas Bakoyannis said ‘It’s a huge ecological disaster in a unique, untouched pine forest.’

 Some 280 firefighters, volunteers, soldiers, six water-dropping planes and six helicopters have been deployed to the island, along with one more helicopter coordinating the air support. Greece has called on the EU for assistance, while Croatia and Italy has lent the stricken area four firefighting planes. There have been no reports yet of any injuries but three ambulances are stationed close to the fire as a precaution. Officials said that preventing loss of life was their main concern. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has cut short his summer holiday and returned to the Greek capital to visit the fire department’s main coordination centre. He said: ‘I am aware that our firefighters, particularly over the last five days, have given their all, they are without sleep and often without food.’