The day before the fire was in remission and firefighters were fighting only small scattered outbreaks, but strong winds rekindled the flames and spread them rapidly to the southwest, forcing authorities to order the evacuation of three villages of about 600 people.

Some 360 firefighters with 75 trucks are operating in the area of dense pine forest, while 11 airplanes and 7 helicopter tankers are continuously discharging water.

At least 1,200 hectares of virgin forest were burned, according to satellite images from the European Union’s Copernicus program, analyzed by the National Observatory of this capital.

Water supply and irrigation networks, as well as pumping stations and wells in the region, also suffered considerable damage, the mayor of the municipality of Sikyona, Spiros Stamatopulos, the state agency AMNA said.

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