Greece continues to fight fires amid rising public discontent

Athens, Aug 7 (EFE).- Fires across Greece were burning for the fifth day in a row on Saturday, amid mounting public criticism of the government’s preparedness to deal with the blazes.

The worst out of hundreds of fires declared over the past few days are still out of control on Euboea island, the Peloponnese region and Athens’ northern suburbs. Currently, 55 fronts are active in the country.

Despite the rain that fell on Euboea, strong winds have spread the fire towards southwest of the island after ravaging most of its northern areas.

“We have nowhere to go, they have brought the evacuees here and now we will all burn,” a tearful neighbor from Istiaia told local media, accusing the government of waiting for the sea to stop the fire.

Nearly 40 towns on Euboea have been evacuated, with over 600 people transported off the island by ferry overnight.

The governor of Central Greece, Fanis Spanos, has criticized the lack of resources throughout the country, lamenting that the homes of at least 300 families have been destroyed.

In Attica, the capital region, deputy governor Nikos Peppas told local media that authorities hope the fire will be controlled by the end of Saturday after the “real hell” of the previous night.

But firefighters are more cautious as the wind could intensify later on as it did on Friday night.

The fires have come amid an historic heat wave, the worst the country has seen in four decades.

So far, the fire has left one volunteer dead and four firefighters injured, including two who are in critical condition.