Deputy Governor of Corinthia, Anastasios Giolis, confirmed to ERT that the two men “were not registered volunteers but were residents of nearby villages who went to help.” The men, who lived in the village of Ano Pitsa, had travelled to a neighbouring village to guide firefighters through the area in order to aid their efforts. Giolis described the situation as “a very difficult time for the region,” and noted that “a few houses have been lost to the flames.”
The two men reportedly took their motorcycles on Sunday night to assist an acquaintance at his livestock pen in the Ano Pitsa area, where they tragically lost their lives.
The fire’s front is estimated to span about 30 kilometres. On Monday morning, flames reached the settlement of Ano Loutra, destroying several homes and continuing to burn just tens of metres away. So far, an evacuation order has been issued for six villages as the fire spreads.
After an overnight battle against the flames in Rosena, the fire brigade has managed to control the main fire front, although numerous active hotspots remain.
The blaze first broke out yesterday morning at around 10:51 a.m. in a forested area, quickly expanding over a large perimeter due to very strong winds, with gusts reaching up to 8 on the Beaufort scale. The dense vegetation and challenging terrain have made the firefighting efforts even more difficult.
Preliminary reports from the Fire Department indicate damage to the area around the Xylokastro, but a full assessment will be possible only once the fire is fully extinguished.
Currently, 330 firefighters, including 11 forest commando teams with 110 vehicles, are engaged in battling the blaze. Yesterday, 24 aircraft, including 14 planes and 10 helicopters (two of which were used for aerial coordination), were deployed in the firefighting efforts. These aircraft are expected to be operational again at first light today.
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