Hundreds of children from a summer camp were evacuated as a huge wildfire rages in Sofiko, Corinth in Northeastern Peloponnese.
The fire broke out in an inaccessible pine forest area late afternoon near the village of Ano Almyri and spread quickly because strong wind blowing with intensity of 5 Beaufort.
The intervention of the fire brigades was prompt, firefighters were able to stop the fire before reaching the village.
550 children from the summer camp Ranch were evacuated for preemptive reasons following orders of the Greek Fire Service. Initial reports said the children were transferred to schools in the area away from the fire. The mayor said later that the children were taken to the to the high school of Sofiko.
According to local authorities the wildfire spread very quickly but fire brigades and water dropping air craft responded as soon as they could.
At the same time, rain started to fall but it was apparently not strong enough to extinguish the blaze.
Firefighters have been trying to take the fire under control before the dusk that would make the intervention of aerial means impossible.
Firefighters were deployed from Corinth, Argos and Nafplion.
70 firefighters with 33 fire trucks, a 60-man strong unit on foot, 6 aircraft and 5 helicopters are in operation.
UPDATE
The blaze continued also on Tuesday morning. Firefighters were struggling all night, two Canadair started water dropping with the first light of the dawn. However, aerial means were forced to halt operations due to low cloudiness, smoke and humidity.
Local media report that the air is stuffy.
Two wildfires on Corfu
Two wildfires broke out on the island of Corfu in the area of Katakalou and Portes Sinion Agia Varvara on Monday afternoon .
Katakalou and Portes via Corfutvnews.gr
Firefighters and volunteers operate in the areas, while strong wind is blowing.
Katakalou/ Lake Halikiopoulou via corfupress.gr
Investigators of the Greek Fire Service arrested a 51-year-old man for setting a fire in Porto-Rafti-Markopolo road, Attica, Monday morning out of negligence. The man was using a wheel to cut metal outdoors in a plot with dry grass and bushes.
From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday the fire brigades had to intervene in 22 wildfires.
