New fire breaks out in Greece's Peloponnese

By Ayhan Mehmet

GUMULCINE, Greece (AA) - A new fire broke out on Greece’s Peloponnesian Peninsula on Saturday, even as the country is already struggling with forest fires.

State broadcaster ERT reported that the fire in the Ilia region, in the western part of the southern peninsula, spread with the help of strong winds to reach residential areas.

Some settlements were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, on the Greek island of Rhodes, off the coast of southwestern Türkiye, where fires were under control as of Friday, fire brigades remain on standby in case of new fires.

Authorities sent a cellphone message to citizens and tourists in some areas saying: "You can safely return to your homes."

According to the Fire Risk Forecast Map published by Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry, the fire risk for tomorrow is set at category 4, or "very high."

Four people died in recent forest fires in the country.