Greek firefighters tame wildfire on island of Serifos

ATHENS (Reuters): Greek firefighters managed to contain on Sunday a wildfire that had raged uncontrolled overnight on the Aegean island of Serifos, damaging houses and prompting the evacuation of several hamlets.

Dozens of firefighters with 15 fire engines battled to contain the fire, backed up by a water-carrying helicopter. It had broken out amid low vegetation on Saturday and spread quickly, fanned by strong winds, the fire brigade said.

The wildfire, which at one point had raged across 15 kilometers, damaged holiday homes and storehouses, the island’s mayor, Kostas Revinthis, told Greek television.

With hot, windy conditions across much of the country, dozens of wildfires broke out on Saturday and authorities advised people to stay away from forested areas.

A wildfire in a mountainous forest area just outside Athens had eased by Sunday morning but some 160 firefighters were still engaged in extinguishing it, officials said.

The strong winds are not expected to abate until later on Sunday, meteorologists said.

Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country but have become more devastating in recent years as summers have become hotter, drier and windier, which scientists link to the effects of climate change.

After last summer’s deadly forest fires and following its warmest winter on record, Greece developed a new doctrine, which includes deploying an extra fire engine to each new blaze, speeding up air support and clearing forests.