A great fire broke out early Tuesday afternoon in the Strofilia forest, on the border between Achaia and Ilia, at the height of Kounoupeli, Peloponnese. The fire front is already moving to Falari.

The Fire Brigade talks about a dangerous fire, as strong winds blow in the area.

A Super Puma helicopter and two Canadair firefighting airplanes have been on the site, in addition to the ground force of 25 vehicles and more than 50 men from Ilia and Achaia.

According to information broadcast by ilialive.gr, a Canadair that got airborne from HAF Elefsina Base turned back for unknown reasons and an order was given to two Canadairs from Thessaloniki to go instead.

The first arrived at Ilia at about seven in the afternoon, while the second was expected later today, carrying technical support. The two planes are expected to operate with the first light tomorrow morning.

Estimates at this time are extremely pessimistic for the result of firefighting efforts over the next few hours and especially at night.

The forest of Strofilia is a national park of 22.000 acres protected by the Ramsar Treaty and the Natura Network.