Furious fires on the Greek island

The Greek island of Chios has been declared a state of emergency, where five separate wild fires burn and are ignited by strong winds.

Residents in 17 communities have been evacuated and a arson investigation has begun in what caused the various fronts to start is such a short period of time.

On Sunday, three forest fires broke out in the areas of Coofinas., Agia Anna and Agios MakariosS Fourth flame broke out shortly after midnight through Agios Markosfollowed by the Fifth Front on Monday morning in AgiasmataS

The blaze has already damaged the homes, cultures and infrastructure of the Aegean island, with local media reporting that several houses have been destroyed.

There is a moderate high -temperature warning of Chios, with maximums of about 30 ° C, but is expected to increase by the end of the week.

About 190 firefighters worked on the island, supported by 11 aircraft and helicopter. An additional 90 firefighters should also arrive from Athens and Thessaloniki, authorities said.

Photos from the island show locals trying to help firefighters by throwing buckets of water on flames and using clothes to try to pull out smaller spots of fires.

Local media reported major damage to a number of houses and at least one distillery, with some residents saying that they were unable to return to see if their property had been damaged.

The Minister of Climate and Civil Protection Ioannis Kefalogianis traveled to Chios and said after an emergency meeting that he was “worried and concerned” about the outbreak of numerous fires in different parts of the island “without a clear explanation.”

“This is something that needs to be thoroughly studied,” he added.

Meanwhile, a team of the Fire Office Investigation Department operating with local police officers has begun an investigation into what caused the fires.

The local energy network is damaged by the fires, causing interruptions in the width zone of Vrontados. Teams from the Hellenic Electricity Network Network (Hedno) have been sent from the neighboring island of Lesvos to carry out repairs.

Some planned power offices have been introduced in support of shooting operations.

Water supply and infrastructure damage problems are also reported.

This is the first major fire this summer for Greece, which is not unknown to devastating fires and extreme heat.

On Chios, an intense fire in 2012 erased more than half of the iconic mastic on the island – a tree resin used in cooking and pharmaceutical products – disrupts the global supply of the so -called “Chios tears”.