Heroic Firefighters Combat Island Blaze, Tourists Return to Safety on Kos

Greek firefighters continued to battle a wildfire on Kos for a second day as evacuated tourists and locals returned to their homes. Despite the fire reaching Kardamaina village, no buildings were damaged. Over 100 firefighters and a helicopter are working to contain the blaze, following warnings of a dangerous wildfire season.

Greek firefighters battled a blaze on the island of Kos for a second day on Tuesday, as hundreds of tourists and locals who had been forced to evacuate overnight returned to their hotels and homes. As the wildfire reached the seaside village of Kardamaina overnight, people took refuge in a sports centre and other venues, Christos Efstratiou, deputy governor for the Dodecanese islands, told Reuters.

The wildfire had abated by Tuesday morning, letting people return, and there was no damage to buildings, Efstratiou said. More than 100 firefighters, assisted by a helicopter, were still tackling the blaze to stop it flaring up again, the fire brigade said.

Dozens of fires broke out across Greece, including two close to the capital, Athens, over the weekend. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned on Monday of a dangerous summer of wildfires following a prolonged drought. Emergency crews assisted by water-carrying planes also fought to tame wildfires on the island of Chios and Crete on Tuesday.

Wildfires are common in the eastern Mediterranean country. But hotter, drier and windier weather that scientists link to the effects of climate change has increased their frequency and intensity.

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