Firefighters Make Progress in Containing Southern Greece Blaze

Firefighters, aided by waterbombing planes and volunteers, are making strides in containing a deadly forest fire in southern Greece. The blaze, which killed two residents, has affected 6,500 hectares. Multiple villages were evacuated, and the fire's cause is suspected to be negligence.

Hundreds of firefighters, assisted by waterbombing planes and volunteers, have made significant progress in containing a deadly forest blaze burning for four days in southern Greece, authorities said Wednesday.

The fire service reported that the blaze, which claimed the lives of two local residents on Sunday, is receding. Firefighting efforts are now focused on extinguishing smaller scattered fires within the heavily damaged area.

According to satellite maps released by Greece's weather service, the fire impacted approximately 6,500 hectares of rugged, mountainous terrain in the Corinthia area of the Peloponnese region.

On Wednesday, around 570 firefighters were involved in the operation, supported by 160 fire trucks and 11 aircraft, including three from Italy and Croatia, sent in response to Greece's request for aid from its European Union partners. Authorities ordered the evacuation of more than half a dozen villages as a precaution between Sunday and Tuesday, although firefighters successfully kept the flames from entering these areas. Several outlying buildings, including a historic church, were reportedly damaged.

Southern European countries, including Greece, routinely face devastating and often deadly forest fires each summer. This year, a combination of climate change-induced drought, high spring temperatures, and summer heatwaves has resulted in a record of over 4,500 fires so far, many of which ignited outside the usual summer months.

The cause of the Corinthia fire is still under investigation, but officials suggest negligence is the likely factor.

(With inputs from agencies.)