Mayor optimistic inferno can be held back from Greek island hub

Firefighters on the populous Greek island of Evia battle heat and suffocating smoke from wildfires that have wiped out hundreds of homes and forced thousands to flee.

An islander holds an empty water hose during an attempt to extinguish forest fires approaching the Evia island village of Pefki

A key town will likely be spared from a week-long inferno consuming so much of the Greek island of Evia partly because water-bombing helicopters have finally fully entered the battle, the local mayor said.

Istiaia Mayor Yiannis Kontzias told public television ERT that he was "optimistic" the fire can be prevented reaching his town of several thousand people, now a focal point of southern European fires that have underscored global alarm about climate change.

He later added that this particular front was under control -- but others nearby remained active.

He was echoing a complaint widely uttered about the lack of air support not just on Evia but throughout Greece as hundreds of fires broke out during an intense heat wave in the last two weeks.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday apologised to the nation and vowed to punish those responsible.

"We may have done what was humanly possible, but in many cases it was not enough," he said.

The fire jumped a fire break created late Monday in Avgaria, a village close to Istiaia, the ANA press agency said. But the village did not suffer major damage.

The fire department late on Monday said that over 650 firefighters were still deployed in Evia, including forces from Ukraine, Romania and Serbia.

There was still concern Tuesday about three separate fires in the Peloponnese peninsula, where villages were still without electricity and water according to local officials.

In the foothills of Mount Parnitha, local mayor Spyros Vrettos told state TV ERT that at least 80 homes have been completely destroyed, while some 1,500 electricity pylons in the area will also need to be replaced.

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Originally published as Mayor optimistic inferno can be held back from Greek island hub