Vegetation fires also reached the "island of the Romanians"

The nightmare of fires returned to the Greek islands this summer as well.

Powerful lightning sparked two fires on the island of Thassos on Wednesday, a day after firefighters brought under control wildfires fueled by unusually strong winds that broke out on two other Greek islands.

More than 32 firefighters assisted by 13 special vehicles, an airplane and two helicopters were on Wednesday trying to put out the flames that were devouring wooded areas, on two fronts, on the island in the northern Aegean Sea, 306 kilometers north of the capital Athens.

According to scientists, wildfires have become more frequent and more devastating in Greece in recent years amid climate change, frequently disrupting summer tourism, when millions of people head to the country's islands. Normally, the rains would be a blessing in areas that have not seen rainfall for several months, but the lightning that accompanied them made matters worse in Thassos. The Civil Protection Service of Greece warned that other unusual weather phenomena are expected, announcing storms accompanied by numerous lightning and hail. The center and north of Greece would be the most affected. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned of a dangerous summer in terms of wildfires, following a prolonged drought. Last year, forest fires killed 20 people in the north of the country and led to the evacuation of 19,000 people from the island of Rhodes.

In order to quickly bring vegetation fires under control, the Mediterranean country is increasingly using drones, which help monitor forest regions. About 240 firefighters from countries such as Bulgaria, Malta, Moldova and Romania will be deployed to supplement the firefighting staff in Greece from July to September, the Ministry of Civil Protection said. Dozens of fires broke out over the weekend in Greece, two of which were near the capital Athens. Emergency crews, assisted by firefighting aircraft, also battled flames on several islands, including Kos, Chios and Crete.