A massive wildfire that ravaged vast areas of northeastern Greece for over 17 days is finally starting to subside, although firefighters are still working to extinguish lingering pockets of fire. The fire department reported that reinforcements had been sent over the weekend to the Evros region near the border with Turkey, bringing the total number of firefighters to 741, along with 124 vehicles and two aircraft. Tragically, the blaze has resulted in the deaths of 20 individuals, all believed to be migrants who had recently crossed the border.

The wildfire, which began on August 19 near Alexandroupolis and merged with other blazes to become an enormous conflagration, has burned more than 93,000 hectares (230,000 acres) of land, making it the largest single blaze recorded in an EU country since 2000, according to the European Union's Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Greece and other southern European countries commonly experience wildfires during hot, dry summer months, and dozens of fires have been reported across the country in recent weeks. In fact, between Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon, the fire department tackled a staggering 82 wildfires, with 51 new ones breaking out in just 24 hours. Additionally, another fire broke out in a wooded area on the outskirts of Athens on Monday. Fortunately, more than 70 firefighters, including 18 from France, along with two airplanes and three helicopters, were able to partially control the blaze within hours.

Authorities have made an arrest in connection with this fire, suspecting negligence as the cause. As Greece's firefighting forces have reached their limit, the country appealed for assistance from other European nations. In response, hundreds of firefighters, as well as a fleet of planes and helicopters, have been deployed from countries such as France, Spain, Cyprus, Romania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Albania, and Serbia. These foreign forces are still actively operating in Greece. In addition to the wildfires, Greece is now facing the threat of flooding due to heavy rainstorms forecasted for overnight and Tuesday.

These storms are particularly concerning as they could pose a significant risk to areas already devastated by the fires. The country's civil protection minister, Vassilis Kikilias, warned that special precautions are necessary to deal with the extreme weather conditions. Despite heavy rainfall affecting parts of the country on Monday, causing disruptions, Greece has luckily avoided major flooding thus far. The focus remains on continuing the battle against the wildfires and implementing measures to prevent further devastation in the face of challenging weather conditions.