Smoke from a wildfire that broke out on the Greek island of Paros spread across parts of the Cyclades island group and northern Crete, according to the AtmoHub atmospheric monitoring service.
The smoke plume was carried by prevailing winds, affecting wide areas of Paros, the Cyclades and parts of northern Crete, AtmoHub said in an update.
The Greek atmospheric composition information hub published a video on social media showing a simulation of how smoke from the wildfire dispersed.
The visualization was based on satellite observations and numerical smoke transport models developed through AtmoHub’s pilot service.
Firefighters Battle Renewed Hotspots on Paros
The wildfire, which began Tuesday afternoon, July 28, in an area of waste and low vegetation on Paros, remained active as firefighting crews worked to contain renewed flare-ups.
The fire broke out in an area with scattered homes, prompting a large-scale response from emergency services.
According to the latest update from the Fire Service, 86 firefighters, four wildfire response teams from the 1st Special Forest Operations Unit (EMODE) based in Attica, and 24 vehicles were operating at the scene. The forces included teams that arrived by ferry from Attica.
Aerial operations involved periodic water drops from two aircraft and five helicopters, one of which was coordinating the aerial response.
Volunteers and the Municipality of Paros were also assisting the operation with two water tankers and a construction vehicle. Overall coordination was being led by the deputy chief of the Fire Service.
Fire crews were working to control scattered fire fronts and smoldering areas while carrying out water spraying operations around the entire perimeter to prevent further flare-ups.
