Evros wildfire recedes, but 93,000 hectares lost

The wildfire in Evros, in northeastern Greece, where firefighting efforts continue for the 17th consecutive day, is abating on Monday.

As reported by the public broadcaster ERT, there hasn’t been an active front since late Sunday; nevertheless, over 93,000 hectares have been reduced to ashes.

Crews remain vigilant for potential flare-ups, particularly in the core of the Dadia forest, where the fire continues to smolder slowly.

Currently, there are 740 firefighters on the ground, supported by 124 vehicles and five firefighting aircraft. Foreign teams that assisted in firefighting efforts in the past few days are gradually withdrawing.

Additionally, rainfall is expected in Evros on Monday afternoon, which is anticipated to significantly assist in fully extinguishing the fire.

According to the latest satellite data from the European Union-supported Copernicus Climate Change Service, the total area affected by the forest fire in Evros, which resulted from the merging of fires in Alexandroupoli and Dadia, exceeds 935,000 acres (as of 02.09.2023, 11:31 a.m. local time).