Hundreds of firefighters are battling forest fires on the Greek islands of Kos, Chios and Crete

Authorities warn that this is the hottest summer since 1860

2 Jul. () –

Hundreds of firefighters are deployed on the islands of Kos, Chios and Crete to tackle more than a dozen forest fires that have broken out in the area over the past week and which have led local authorities to issue a high alert level due to high temperatures.

Although many of the fires have been quickly brought under control, at least six firefighters have been injured on the island of Chios while extinguishing the blaze, a scenario that is repeated in Greece every summer.

Security forces have confirmed that a 63-year-old man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the fires, although investigations are underway to determine whether the fires were intentional or caused by negligence.

The authorities in Kos have had to evacuate several towns and hotels overnight to ensure the safety of the population due to the fires in what is already the hottest summer since 1860, according to government data collected by the newspaper ‘Kathimerini’.

On the island of Crete, a fire has also been reported in the city of Heraklion, although residents are out of danger. Although the fire is under control, authorities have warned that there is a high possibility of new outbreaks during the day, especially in eastern Crete and the north of the Peloponnese peninsula.