Greek authorities warn of difficult night ahead as wildfire rages west of Athens

A firefighter is seen fighting a wildfire at the seaside resort town of Schinos near the city of Corinth, Greece, on May 19, 2021. A wildfire started on Wednesday night at Schinos and ripped through a vast forest. (Photo by Vassilis Psomas/Xinhua)

LOUTRAKI, Greece, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Greek Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias on Thursday warned of a difficult night ahead, as a wildfire that broke out late Wednesday night was still raging in seaside resorts an hour's drive west of Athens.

"It will be a difficult night. We ask everyone in the wider area to be on alert. We are giving battle under tough conditions. We give battle to protect human life, to have as little damage as possible, to extinguish the fire and protect the natural environment," he told a press briefing in Athens that was broadcast on Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Meanwhile, efforts continued to bring under control the front which extends across ten km at the outskirts of Loutraki and Alepochori, two popular seaside resorts, with strong winds up to 8 on Beaufort scale hampering efforts, the official said.

No injuries have been reported, but an unspecified number of houses have suffered damages, according to authorities.

Some 5,000 acres of land, mainly forested zones, have already been scorched down, and hundreds of locals have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, Hardalias announced.

At least ten settlements have been evacuated, while 265 firefighters assisted by two dozen water-dropping helicopters and aircrafts, as well as police officers, armed forces and volunteers, were battling the flames.

Argyro Mourtzoukou, a resident who had been living in the area for over 20 years, was among those who had to leave their homes.

"We did not expect the fire to reach us so fast and uncontrollably. I will leave, I will leave my house and I will go to Megara (nearby town) so as not to lose my life," she told Xinhua.

The area is not densely populated and most properties are holiday residences which were not inhabited at the moment, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, the Fire Brigade's spokesperson told Greek national news agency AMNA.

According to preliminary data the fire started in an olive grove next to a dense pine forest near Schinos settlement, and an investigation into the circumstances is underway, the minister said.

At the same time, Public Power Corporation units were working to restore power supply in the region after power lines were damaged and the Health ministry advised residents of the affected area and the wider region, including Athens, to avoid staying outdoors for long unnecessarily.

Clouds of smoke and ash spread across a zone of 60 km, reaching the Greek capital.

Greece suffers from several destructive wildfires mainly during summer due to high temperatures or arson.

In July 2018, over 100 people lost their lives when a blaze swept through the seaside resort of Mati, some 30 km east of Athens.