The municipality of Ancient Olympia, in NW Peloponnese, which includes the original site of the Olympic Games, was ordered to evacuate on Wednesday for precautionary reasons due to a fire in nearby Iraklia.
The community of Miraka was also evacuated due to a fire, the Fire Brigade reported.
The situation there is “very difficult,” Ilia Region Vice-Governor Vassilis Giannopoulos told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).
Authorities have so far evacuated another 8 villages in the municipality of Ancient Olympia: Pelopion, Platanos, Kafkania, Iraklia, Pournari, Koskina, Magiro, and Kladeo.
At Iraklia, some 95 firefighters and 31 fire engines with 4 ground teams are battling the blaze, assisted by 4 aircraft and 2 helicopters.
Traffic is banned on the Tripoli-Pyrgos national highway from the 124th km to the 130th km, police added.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni is on her way to the ancient site
Source:ANA-MPA