Athens [Greece], August 9: At least one person died and homes and farmlands were destroyed as wildfires stoked by gale-force winds broke out across Greece on Friday, from the southern outskirts of the capital Athens to regions near Ancient Olympia.
A major blaze broke out in the small town of Keratea, southwest of Athens.
Firefighters discovered the body of an elderly man in a burned-out structure there, Greek Fire Brigade Spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said during a briefing.
In the region of Ancient Olympia in the southwest of the country, huge flames devoured olive groves and forestland.
Another fire broke out on the touristy island of Kefalonia.
Much of the region around Athens has seen barely a drop of rain in months.
Wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour fanned the flames, setting olive tree orchards alight.
Homes were engulfed as locals wearing flimsy face masks assisted firefighters.
Witnesses said the wind gusts were so strong that dousing some areas was near impossible.
"The wind would push it back," a Keratea resident told Reuters.
High winds are expected through the weekend and beyond.
At Ancient Olympia, an extensive region in the western Peloponnese that includes the site of the first Olympic Games, firefighters were battling a blaze fanned by interchanging winds.
"If the wind doesn't die down, we will have huge problems," Ancient Olympia vice-mayor Georgios Linardos told state broadcaster ERT.
Gale-force winds caused extensive delays in the sailing of ferry boats from ports around Athens. On the island of Milos, two Vietnamese holidaymakers drowned at sea amid the high gusts, a coast guard official said.
Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers.
These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach.
Parched southern France is currently facing its worst wildfire in decades, where fires are contained but not over
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
