The fire burned the Monastery of Saint John the Merciful as well as scattered houses near Paleochori.
Reporting by Myriam Kiassou
The fire front that broke out earlier today near the settlement of Paleochori in Marathokampos, Western Samos, is raging uncontrollably.
According to volunteer firefighters, the fire “swept” a wide range of land in the Marathokampos area, passing the locations of Gioka and Makria Pounta, and has reached serious proportions, now heading towards Limniona Beach.
The fire burned the Monastery of Saint John the Merciful as well as scattered houses near Paleochori.
Local authorities and volunteers are helping residents and tourists to leave the coastal settlement of Limniona and Makria Pounta.
According to statements by Dimitris Volakakis, Deputy Mayor of Western Samos on SKAI radio, the evacuation of Limniona and Makria Pountas has been requested.
The situation remains critical because strong northerly winds are still blowing in the area which, according to residents’ testimonies, make the extinguishing operation difficult.
According to information, it is assumed that the fire was caused by a PPC pillar.
Earlier in the afternoon, a Fire Brigade helicopter with a four-member crew that was trying to extinguish the fire in Palaichori, Samos, crashed in a sea area north of Plaka Marathokampou.
Two of the four crew members lost their lives and one, the pilot of the aircraft, was rescued.
The Coast Guard’s search for another person continues.
The fire is raging quite far from the organized settlement, however there are holiday homes in the wider area.
The Fire Department is on operational alert due to high fire risk (risk category 4) for tomorrow, Thursday, July 14, for the following areas:
-Region of Attica
-Region of Central Greece (PE Boeotia, PE Evia)
– Peloponnese region ( Argolis PE, Corinthia PE)
-North Aegean Region (Lesvos Region, Chios Region, Samos Region, Ikaria Region)
– Region of Crete.
Consequently, the 2nd stage of operational readiness of the P.S. and aerial surveillance patrols will continue, as well as patrols by Fire, Police and Military forces.
#Fire in a forest area in Paleochori Samos. Ground and air forces were mobilized.
— Fire Department (@pyrosvestiki) July 13, 2022
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