Chios : Hundreds of firefighters battled for a third day to contain wildfires on the Greek island of Chios that have torn through swathes of forest and farmland and forced hundreds of villagers to evacuate, after it declared a state of emergency.
More than 400 firefighters assisted by 14 helicopters and four aircraft have been deployed to several locations on the island, in the northeastern Aegean Sea.
Chios is in the midst of the tourist season and authorities also want to prevent the fires reaching areas famous for producing mastiha, a natural resin harvested from mastic trees.
Firefighters, residents and volunteers were struggling to prevent the fire from spreading into the village of Agios Giorgios Sikousis.
Aircraft dropped water bombs on the bushes, as thick grey smoke engulfed the area, and firefighters doused olive trees besides the road.
Authorities issued a new alert on Tuesday, advising residents of villages southwest of Chios town, the island’s capital, to leave.
Greece, situated at Europe’s southernmost tip, is often hit by wildfires during its hot and dry summers but authorities have blamed a fast-changing climate for fuelling more destructive blazes in recent years.