Fire rekindling still an issue in W. Attica & Rhodes on Friday, says Fire Brigade

Strong firefighting forces in West Attica were dealing with several rekindlings and scattered fire pockets on Friday, said the Fire Brigade’s spokesperson Fire Colonel Vassilis Vathrakogiannis at a special evening briefing.

Rekindling was also a problem in Rhodes island’s central mountainous region on Friday, he added, where 125 firefighters with 35 fire engines and 3 ground teams were operating, assisted by 4 water bombers and 3 helicopters.

But the worst case of rekindlings occured in the Lakonia prefecture, southeastern Peloponnese, where they generated numerous fire fronts, fought by 75 firefighters with 25 fire engines and 3 ground teams, assisted by 5 planes and 2 helicopters.

Another fire, near Thessaloniki and close to the Egnatia Odos motorway at the Profitis Ilias setllement, was contained, yet 50 firefighters with 12 fire engines and 3 ground teams were assisted by 2 helicopters, as well as by 10 Bulgarian firefighters with 2 fire engines. Several firefighters and planes provided through the RescEU program were helping with fires in Greece on Friday, it was pointed out, in addition to help from Israel and Jordan.

Overall, 52 new fires broke out on Friday while firefighting forces were dealing with a total of 79 wildfires nationwide, noted Vathrakogiannis, who warned that conditions will become harder over the further rise of temperatures on Saturday in several areas of Greece.