Firefighters in Greece scramble to contain fires before high temperatures return

Several fires were brought under control overnight

Firefighters operate during a wildfire near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, Greece. Picture: AP Photo/Michael Varaklas.

Firefighters west of Athens raced to exploit a break in high winds on Tuesday, working to strengthen containment lines as forecasters warned that stronger gusts and rising temperatures would return in the coming days.

Several fires that burned through mountain communities and coastal areas west of the Greek capital were brought under control overnight.

Planes and helicopters dumped water inside the contained perimeters through the morning, dousing hotspots while the winds stayed calm.

“There is a huge fire load in the area and the risk goes up as the day progresses,” said Costas Tsingas, head of the Greek Firefighters Association.

“The goal is for the day to end better than it started.” Burning for a fifth day, the blaze outside Athens prompted the evacuation of more than 1,000 people and was blamed on a faulty power line from a wind farm in the area.

Restrictions and park closures are imposed locally according to fire risk levels.

Authorities say 33 people were arrested between June 29 and August 2 for starting fires, including 30 through negligence and three on suspicion of arson.

Most of the negligence cases involved farm work carried out despite local bans, including prohibited welding.

On Tuesday, crews were working against the clock: winds typically pick up in the afternoon, a coastal phenomenon common across the Mediterranean in summer as land heats faster than the sea and draws in stronger breezes.

The army deployed tracked earth movers to carve fire breaks across the scorched hillsides, while specialist units pushed into forest areas on foot to extinguish smouldering embers before they could reignite.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from around the seaside resort of Porto Germeno and other areas west of the capital, including more than 250 rescued by boats from beaches in the area.

Prolonged heatwaves across Europe this summer have left France tinder-dry, fuelling blazes that this week exposed long-buried ammunition in a forested area.

The massive wildfire outside the south-western city of Bordeaux, which has scorched about 420 square kilometres (162 square miles), uncovered what is believed to be Second World War-era ammunition.

Demining experts have found more than 400 shells and other munitions in recent days at Le Porge, the hardest-hit town, where 183 homes were destroyed.

Residents described hearing explosions believed to be blasts from the old shells, authorities said.

The fire remained contained and thousands of evacuees were allowed to return on Monday.

More than 224,000 people fled in France’s largest civilian evacuation outside wartime.