Greek authorities on Monday again, warned of fires and called on citizens to be careful with open flames and sparks.
The fire brigade tweeted that there was a “very high” fire danger in the Attica region around the capital Athens as well as in the south of the Peloponnese peninsula and in the west of the island of Crete.
The reason is not high temperatures, they are within the normal range for this time of year of around 35 degrees Celsius.
Instead, fire experts are warning of the strong winds that are expected in many parts of the country this week.
Especially the Aegean Sea is affected during the summer months when the dry summer wind known as Meltemi blows strongly across Crete and other islands.
Because it has not rained for weeks in large parts of Greece, sparks propelled by the wind are enough to start huge fires.
There are currently dozens of new fires every day, most of which can be brought under control.
Many are either started on purpose or are caused by negligence, for example, by the embers of a discarded cigarette or by careless outdoor barbecuing.
dpa
