Firefighters extinguish fires on Greek islands of Chios and Kos, PM warns of ‘dangerous summer’

A firefighter tries to extinguish a forest fire in the Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Two large fires broke out near the Greek capital, Athens, on Sunday, and authorities sent out emergency messages, urging some residents to evacuate and others to stay indoors and close windows to protect themselves from the smoke. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters raced to tackle wildfires that broke out Monday on the eastern Aegean islands of Chios and Kos, as Greece’s prime minister warned of a dangerous summer and said the public’s help was essential to limit the impact of the blazes.

Emergency services have issued evacuation orders for residents of Metohi in western Chios, urging them to head to a nearby beach. Further south in the Aegean, on the island of Kos, the fire service said 20 firefighters, a helicopter and volunteers were battling a bushfire that had broken out in the centre of the island.

The fires occurred a day after the fire brigade managed to extinguish two large forest fires near Athens, which were sparked by strong winds.

“We had an exceptionally difficult June in terms of weather conditions, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this season,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday during a cabinet meeting. This summer is expected to be “particularly dangerous” due to wildfires.

Mitsotakis said the use of drones as part of a forest fire early warning system has proven particularly useful this year, and stressed that better coordination between authorities and volunteer firefighters has so far helped limit the extent of fire damage.

“We are entering a difficult period of fighting fires and we certainly will not be able to overcome it without the help of society, especially in the field of prevention,” Mitsotakis said.

Hot, dry weather combined with strong winds contributed to wildfires in Greece and Turkey last month. This summer is expected to be particularly fire-prone after an unusually mild, dry winter. Last year, widespread forest fires in Greece killed more than 20 people.