Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Firefighters in Greece and France continued to battle major wildfires on Monday as parts of southern Europe remained under high temperatures. In Greece, water-dropping planes and helicopters were deployed west of Athens after strong winds eased, while in France, thousands of evacuees were allowed to return home after a massive blaze was brought under control.
The firefighting effort in Greece came a day after a midair collision between two privately chartered firefighting helicopters killed a Greek and a Danish crew member and left two others in hospital. The weekend operation in mountainous and coastal areas had been hindered by powerful gales.
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With winds easing on Monday, Greek authorities deployed 12 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters around the seaside resort of Porto Germenos, where multiple evacuations had been ordered. Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios said, “To put it in a headline: conditions are better but we are pressing forward because there are still multiple points of activity. This is a difficult fire that has troubled us.”
About 500 firefighters halted the advance of the blaze, but authorities warned that areas around Athens remained at high risk. More than 1,000 people were evacuated from the region, including over 250 people who were rescued by boats from nearby beaches. Officials blamed the fire on a faulty power line from a wind farm, and two contractors were arrested on charges of negligent arson.
The report said that despite better detection methods and wider cooperation among European Union members, Greece and other Mediterranean countries continue to face destructive wildfires every summer as periods of extreme heat grow longer. According to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service, Europe has been warming at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, with rising temperatures and prolonged drought making vegetation drier and allowing fires to spread faster and burn more intensely.
In France, authorities said a huge wildfire that burned about 420 square kilometres, or 162 square miles, remained contained, allowing thousands of evacuees to return to their homes or holiday accommodation. More than 224,000 people had fled what officials described as the country’s largest civilian evacuation outside wartime. People were allowed back to the Cap Ferret peninsula and to Le Porge, the area worst hit by the fire, where 183 homes were destroyed, though campsites remained closed.
A second wildfire in Provence did not flare up overnight, but it was still not contained on Monday as stronger winds were expected. About 1,500 firefighters, backed by water-dropping helicopters, continued to strengthen fire lines around the blaze, which had spread across about 18 square kilometres, or 7 square miles. Overall, Greece saw some relief as winds weakened, while France continued to guard against flare-ups after one of its biggest wildfire emergencies.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
