The personnel of all Fire Services have been put on general alert, in order to deal with the increased service demands that have arisen as well as the extreme risk of fire – State of Alert (risk category 5), which will be valid tomorrow as well, as 10 large and dangerous fires are still in full swing across Greece.

Of these, the six serious fires are in Evros, Rodopi and Kavala, while as the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias reported in the afternoon, after the broad emergency meeting held in Civil Protection, since midnight yesterday they have occurred only in Evros 14 fires.

Three of them, including the big fire in Alexandroupolis, have reached dimensions and are characterized as extremely difficult.

In the rest of Greece, fires are still ongoing in Prodromos Boeotia, in Psachna in Evia, in Tarsos in Boeotia, where the settlements of Tarsos and Karyoti were also evacuated, and in Kythnos where the accommodations at Paralia tou Skylos were evacuated.

According to the latest update from the Fire Brigade, in the last 24 hours, from 18:00 on 20-08-2023 to 18:00 on 21-08-2023, 63 forest fires occurred.

Most were treated immediately, at their initial stage. Regarding the ongoing fires:

• In the forest fire that occurred in the early morning hours of August 19, 2023 in the area of ​​Melia Alexandroupolis, 214 firefighters with 11 groups of pedestrian sections and 59 vehicles are working, while periodically 10 A/F and 7 E/P are working. Assistance is provided by the forces of the Hellenic Army, volunteer firefighters, as well as water tankers and equipment of the E.S. project. and of the OTAs

• 74 firefighters with 6 groups of pedestrian sections and 19 vehicles are working on the fire that broke out in an agro-forestry area in the area of ​​Prodromos Boiotias that broke out during the morning hours today, while 10 A/F and 5 E/P are working periodically.

• 92 firefighters with 3 groups of infantry departments, including 19 French firefighters and 30 vehicles, are working on the fire that broke out in the morning hours today in a grassy area in the Prophet Elias area in Psachna Evia, while 8 A/F and 9 E/P are working periodically.

• 33 firefighters with 1 group of hikers and 12 vehicles are working on the fire that broke out in a forest area in the Kavala Dialect while periodically 4 A/F and 4 E/P are working. During the extinguishing, 2 firefighters were injured and taken to a hospital, while a fire engine was seriously damaged

• In the fires, also, that have occurred in Evros, they are attempting:

• 36 firefighters with 1 pedestrian group and 12 vehicles, while periodically 4 A/F and 4 E/P operate, in a forest area in Dadia Evros

• 16 firefighters with 7 vehicles, while periodically operating 2 A/F, in a forest area in Lavara Evros

• In the fires, also, that have occurred in the Rhodopes, they are attempting:

• 23 firefighters with 11 vehicles while periodically operating 3 A/F, in an agroforestry area in Ano Drosini Rodopi

• 14 firefighters with 7 vehicles while periodically operating 3 A/F and 1 E/P in a forested area in Mischo Rodopi

The local investigative offices, as well as units of the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (D.A.E.E.) are investigating the causes of the fires.

The Fire Department reminds that, according to the Fire Risk Prediction Map issued by the General Secretariat of Civil Protection of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection (www.civilprotection.gr), for tomorrow, Tuesday, August 22, 2023, an extreme risk of fire is predicted – Situation Alert (risk category 5) for Attica, Boeotia, Evia, Phthiotida, Argolis and Corinth, while a very high risk is predicted for a large part of the country.

Due to the critical situation, in addition to the general alert of the Fire Department, aerial surveillance patrols continue, as well as patrols by Fire, Police and Military forces, while, as Mr. Kikilias announced earlier, the movement of vehicles and the stay of excursionists in national parks are prohibited , forests and “vulnerable” areas.

All citizens are requested to be particularly careful and in the event of a fire, for their own safety, to follow the instructions of the competent authorities.