The Fire Brigade forces operating in the region of southern Rhodes and the village of Apollona were battling the rekindled fire fronts on Wednesday, assisted by hundreds of volunteers and firefighting aircraft constantly dropping water from above.

There were three fronts of rekindled flames, while a new front formed as a result of rekindling emerged on Wednesday afternoon in a region near the village of Apollona, where the fire had started nine days earlier.

Two active fronts in locations not easily accessible to firefighters were still raging on Corfu on Wednesday. Firefighting forces were battling the blaze from the air and on land in order to get the fire under control, as there were fears of a massive rekindling in the afternoon, when strong northwesterly winds were forecast in the area.

Meanwhile, elderly residents in the villages of Loutses, Syki and Imerolia, who had been ordered to evacuate their villages, returned to their houses on Wednesday, while the younger residents had stayed in the villages to assist the firefighting effort.

The municipality of northern Corfu, meanwhile, was categoric in saying that the wildfire on Corfu was the result of arson. 

State of emergency to release funding for Rhodes

The continuing fight to put out rekindled fire fronts in southern Rhodes continued on Wednesday as a state of emergency now including the entire island allowing the region to draw emergency funding to restore damaged property.

Last week a state of emergency was declared in the municipal units of Attavyros, Kamiros and Lindos, while on Sunday the municipal unit of southern Rhodes was added. A decision on Wednesday by Secretary General for Civil Protection Vassilis Papageorgiou added Rhodes, Kallithea, Ialyssos, Petaloudes, Afandou and Archangelos in the state of emergency.

In a statement, sources of the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry pointed out, "The state of emergency concerning the municipalities of Rhodes, affected by wildfires, is related to the compensation process for the damage suffered due to the above fires. It is to be noted that already since yesterday the competent services have begun to assess the damages. It is therefore understood that the declaration of a state of emergency does not in any way imply that it is not safe for travellers to visit the island." 

The Fire Brigade forces operating in the region of southern Rhodes and the village of Apollona are assisted by hundreds of volunteers and firefighting aircraft constantly dropping water from above.

There were three fronts of rekindled flames, while a new front formed as a result of rekindling on Wednesday afternoon in a region near the village of Apollona, where the fire had started nine days earlier.

Magnissia fires

Three separate wildfires broke out in the prefecture of Magnissia, eastern central Greece, on Wednesday afternoon.

The first fire broke out at 14:30 in the Velestino area and quickly grew due to strong winds. Firefighting forces from the city of Volos, east of Velestino, were battling the blaze, which is burning its way through low brush towards Aerino, south of Velestino.

The second fire broke out at 15:00 in the Krokio region at the municipality of Almiro, in the center of Magnissia, burning low vegetation.

The third fire broke out at 12:30 in the Paltsi region of south Pelion, at the eastern leg of Magnissia, where 20 fire engines along with firefighters and the army's special forces managed to put it out before it could spread.