Firefighters battle a fire on the Greek island of Kos for a second day

Firefighters battled a blaze on the Greek island of Kos for the second day in a row on Tuesday, as hundreds of tourists and residents who were evacuated from the fire zone overnight returned to their hotels and homes.

People took shelter in a sports centre and other places as the fire reached the seaside village of Kardamena overnight, Christos Efstratiou, deputy governor of the Dodecanese Islands, told Reuters.

No buildings were damaged and people were allowed to return to their homes on Tuesday morning after the fire subsided, Mr Efstratiou said.

Video footage shows tourists waiting in the morning to board buses that were supposed to take them to hotels and rented homes.

Forest fires are common in Greece, but warmer, drier and windier weather, which scientists attribute to the effects of climate change, has contributed to an increase in the frequency and intensity of fires.

More than 100 firefighters, supported by a helicopter, are still battling the blaze on Kos island to prevent it from flaring up again, the fire department said.

On the nearby island of Chios, more than 170 firefighters supported by 36 fire trucks and 10 aircraft were trying to extinguish another blaze that broke out on Monday afternoon.

“The situation appears to have improved on both fronts,” a fire official said, referring to both fires.

On Tuesday, rescue services supported by water planes also battled a forest fire in Crete.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis this week warned of a dangerous summer of forest fires following a long drought and unusually strong winds.

Last year, forest fires in the north of the country killed 20 people and forced 19,000 people to flee the island of Rhodes.

Since then, drones have been increasingly used in the country for early fire detection.

The company now plans to increase its drone fleet to 35 systems and train drone operators from 104 to 139.

Updated: 02 Jul 2024, 18:48