Tributes have been paid to a Greek firefighter who died while tackling the wildfires that have devastated Greece and which are continuing to spread across the country.
Vassilis Filoras, who was a 38-year-old volunteer firefighter, died in the Attica region near Athens. It is reported by local news sources that he died as a result of an electrical cable pole that fell on his head while he was helping put out the flames.
Filoras was taken alive to a hospital but died shortly afterwards. His funeral will be held on Tuesday.
His loved ones released a statement, saying:
"They said you can't choose when or how you die. But you can choose how you live. Our friend, partner, husband and father of two, Vassilis Filoras, lived every day with a smile, kindness and selfless love. The thread of his life ended unjustly on 6/8/2021."
Filoras is one of many people injured by the wildfires, among whom are other volunteer and professional firefighters.
Wildfires have been burning across Greece for over a week, with the fires now encroaching on the suburbs of Athens where many houses have been burned to the ground. A thin sheet of ash was seen across the city and the skies were thick with the smoke of the fires. Residents have been told to stay indoors to avoid smoke inhalation and to not move around the country.
The fires have been sparked by Athens' hottest weather in 30 years, which has seen temperatures exceed 45 degrees centigrade. Ground temperature in the centre of Athens was recorded at 55 degrees centigrade.
Among the worst hit areas is the island of Evia, Greeks second largest island, with an estimated 50% of the island burnt.
These families in Greece watched from a boat as their villages and homes burned to the ground on the island of Evia. Wildfires there have essentially cut the island in half. pic.twitter.com/eQobMmErxp
— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 8, 2021
A fundraiser has been organised on GoFundMe to offer support to the fire victims in Evia.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has been criticised for his handling of the fires, has said that Greek fire crews are working hard to defeat the infernos and that they are now being supported by firefighting teams brought in from other nations. He also promised to replant all the burnt areas of Greece.
In a statement, he said:
"All burnt areas will be considered re-forestable. We will change the way we launch protection projects, but also the way we do reforestation. We will focus all our attention on repairing the damage and our natural environment."
Climate change is being blamed for the increase in fires across the Mediterranean.
[h/t: Greek City Times]
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