Wildfire near Greece’s Thessaloniki sparks evacuations
The rapidly spreading forest fire in Greece led to evacuations in the suburbs of Thessaloniki, the country’s second largest city.
The Fire Brigade said the fire ignited in a mountainous valley at around 8.30pm on Saturday (3.30pm AEST on Sunday) and spread rapidly.
The fire spread across the plains, burning mostly in bush, and no houses were damaged but a few businesses were burned, the service said.
Residents of the small settlements of Anthoupoli, Filothei and Galini were notified by message to evacuate.
A facility housing 157 people with special needs was also evacuated. About 120 people who were able to walk were housed in a gym, while the rest were housed in a psychiatric hospital, local officials said.
Around midnight the Fire Department announced the arrest of a 76-year-old man on suspicion of starting the fire.
The Fire Department said he “did not appear sober.”
Residents of Thessaloniki could see flames and even hear explosions as flammable materials were set on fire in workplaces. A dense cloud of smoke covered many suburbs and western areas of the city.
The Fire Department said approximately 115 firefighters and 38 fire trucks responded to the blaze, along with an unknown number of volunteers. Firefighting planes come into play for short periods of time, but they do not work in the dark.
There is no indication the fire is aimed at the city, but firefighters remain alert and more are expected to join. Locally strong winds make it difficult to control the fire.
With long, hot, dry and often windy summers, Greece is no stranger to wildfires.
The first major forest fire broke out in central Greece on Wednesday, killing a father and his 12-year-old son and prompting evacuations. Greece has also so far escaped the extreme heat that has gripped the rest of Europe.
On Saturday, additional fires were burning around Thessaloniki, including the Halkidiki Peninsula, a popular holiday destination, and the northern city of Kilkis.
