Greece struggles to bring blazes under control as country braces for new heatwave

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Firefighters continue to battle blazes across Greece with several countries send aircraft and crew to assist.

An explosive mix of strong winds and high temperatures is hampering Greece’s efforts to bring large fires under control, as authorities brace for a new heatwave that is likely to further stoke tinderbox conditions across the country.

Wildfires burned for a third day west of the capital Athens on Wednesday, destroying forests and homes and spurring evacuations.

On the island of Rhodes, a virgin forest in the centre of the island is burning with seven aircraft and hundreds of firefighters operating in the area.

In parts of Attica where the fire has been extinguished, many residents are angry, saying the authorities did not do enough to save their homes.

“I believe they just let it burn. The fire went through the community. Thank heavens nothing serious happened to my house, but for others, it is difficult at the moment,” said one man.

“As you can see everything is burnt. Our municipality was nowhere to be seen. The fire department came towards the afternoon and only one helicopter that dropped water only once,” said a woman.

With weather conditions likely to become even more difficult in the coming days, with a second heatwave forecast to start on Thursday, several countries are sending Greece planes and crews to help battle the blazes the fires.

Aircraft from Italy and France joined firefighting efforts on Wednesday, and crews from Romania, Poland, and Slovakia, have been deployed to help battle the blazes.

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