An “Extreme Fires Risk” (risk category 5) has been forecast in three Greek regions and “Very High Risk” (risk category 4) almost for the rest of the country have been forecast for Tuesday, August 22, 2023, according to the Fire Danger Forecast Map issued by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection of the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection ministry.
It is the second consecutive day, the Civil Protection warns of “Extreme Fires Risk,”
It is the “Hot-Dry-Windy” conditions that dramatically increase the risk for wildfires making also their extinction difficult.
Extreme Fire Risk – State of Alert (category 5) for the following areas
- Attica
- Evia
- Viotia
- Fthiotida
- Argolida
- Corinth
“Very High Fire Risk” (category 4) for the following areas:
- Evros,incl.Samothrace, Rodopi, Xanthi, Kavala, Thassos
- Halkidiki, Mount Athos
- Limnos, Lesvos
- Magnisia, Sporades
- Fokida, Fthiotida, Skyros island
- Kythera island
- Region of Western Greece
- Preveza, Arta, Thesprotia,
- Ionian islands: Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada
Regions marked “YELLOW” indicate that they are at “High risk of Fires” (category 3).
Emergency Measures
Following a meeting on Monday with the participation of several ministers and high-ranking Fire Service, Coast Guard and other crucial officials, Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced a series of emergency measures.
These emergency measures are:
- Prohibition of access to mountainous areas of Attica, Viotia, Evia, Kavala and Thessaloniki until the morning of Wednesday, August 23, 2023.
- Srmy patrols in above mentioned areas andin areas with very high risk of fires.
- Prohibition of any outdoor activity that could cause fires danger.
- Strict implementation of emergency line <112> normally used for evacuations.
- If deemed necessary, every possible means will be used — Kikilias did not specify though.
Describing the work of the Fire Service as “very difficult due to the weather conditions,” ie. powerful winds of up to 8 Beaufort. The Minister said that 53 fires broke out across the country in the last 24 hours. The majority of these fires occurred in NE Greece. In Evros alone there were/are 14 different fires.
HOT-DRY-WINDY
According to results from the analysis of data from the automatic weather stations of the METEO service of the National Observatory of Athens (EAA), which are used for the daily assessment of fire-meteorological risk and which take into account the cumulative effect of meteorological conditions on forest fuels and their expected behavior of forest fires it is the “Hot-Dry-Windy” conditions that increase the fires risks.
The very hot and dry conditions that are already affecting Greece will persist until Friday 25.08.2023. meteo service reported.
The very hot and dry conditions combined with the very high flammability of forest fuels and locally strong winds, are expected to form particularly dangerous fire-meteorological conditions , capable of making it difficult to control any forest fires that occur.
In case of fire call 199.
