The first major wildfire reported over the weekend was on the southwest Aegean island of Kythira, with authorities notifying local residents and visitors to evacuate the area through a specific route.

Saturday and Sunday have been designated by civil defense authorities as entailing a very high risk for wildfires in roughly half of the east Mediterranean country due to high temperatures, arid soil conditions and gusty winds – an ominous “mix” in the European south every summer season, one that has often been accompanied by catastrophic and often deadly wildfires.

At least seven major wildfires were recorded the previous day, including a new blaze in northern Kilkis prefecture burning near the small same-name city along brush and cropland, another fire in extreme northwest Greece (Thesprotia prefecture) and the rekindling of a major wildfire in the northeast Peloponnese in the Feneos municipality.

Two local men were arrested and face felony negligent arson charges in the latter incident, as they were allegedly using spark-producing power tools in a makeshift site within a dense forest.