VIDEO: 23 Firefighters Injured Battling Wildfires in Greece

Over the past day, 23 Greek firefighters were injured while combating wildfires in various regions of Greece. This was reported by OPEN TV on Thursday.

On Wednesday, firefighters were engaged in fighting 66 active fires across the country, most of which were extinguished nearly immediately after breaking out. During the firefighting efforts, 23 firefighters sustained injuries, burns, and other damages, the channel noted.

Yanis Artopios, a representative of the Greek firefighting service, reported that the largest fires in the country were recorded on the island of Rhodes, in the town of Dervenochoria in western Attica, and near the city of Loutraki. Strong ground forces, including nine aircraft and 12 helicopters, with one specifically designated for coordination tasks, as well as four planes from France and Italy, were regularly deployed in western Attica and the Loutraki area to subdue the fires, he said.

“Following Greece's relevant request at a bilateral level, it is expected that two aircraft will arrive from Israel on Thursday,” Artopios added.

In the central forested area of Rhodes, robust ground forces, along with five planes and four helicopters, are engaged in extinguishing the fire. In the Lefkooma area (Lakonia region) in southern Peloponnese, six planes and one helicopter were involved in the firefighting efforts.

Meanwhile, meteorologists are warning of a new wave of extreme hot weather approaching. On Wednesday, the average temperature in Greece was between 37-38 degrees Celsius, and it is expected to jump to 44 degrees on Thursday, and up to 45-46 degrees on Sunday. After that, a slight drop in temperature to 40-41 degrees is anticipated, but a strong wind is expected to begin, which could contribute to new fire outbreaks.