Firefighters will remain in the country until mid-September, when the wildfire season is at its peak.
Greek fire brigades will be reinforced this year by 240 firefighters from Bulgaria, Malta, Moldova, and Romania, according to Greek authorities.
The first team from Bulgaria has already arrived in the northern city of Thessaloniki. Another 15 firefighters from Malta will arrive in mid-July and will be stationed in the southern part of the country, as reported by the Greek Ministry of Civil Protection.
Greece experiences numerous wildfires during the dry and hot summer months. Between Monday noon and Tuesday noon, 36 new fires broke out across the country, most of which were extinguished in the early stages, according to the Greek fire service.
On Monday, two major wildfires forced the evacuation of numerous people from hotels and homes on the islands of Kos and Chios in the eastern Aegean Sea. Four firefighters and one volunteer were injured in these fires. On Chios, a man was arrested for allegedly starting a fire and was fined 8,000 euros.
Dry and hot weather, combined with strong winds last month, contributed to the spread of wildfires in both Greece and Turkey. This year’s season is expected to be very intense, as the winter was mild and dry. Last year’s extensive wildfires in Greece resulted in more than 20 fatalities.
