ATHENS — Fire-fighting aircraft have finally managed to rejoin the fray in the fight against the major fire in Limni, Evia according to an announcement from the Central Greece Region on Wednesday. Three fire-fighting planes and one helicopter, among them a Russian Beriev-200, are now operating in the area, the announcement said.

The aircraft that took off at first light were initially unable to assist the fire-fighting effort due to the thick smoke and poor visibility above the site of the fire, which was burning on four separate fronts.

This led to a decision to increase the fire engines battling the flames to 32 and use the maximum number of water tankers and earth-moving machinery to open up fire breaks.

Talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the abbot of the Monastery of St David the Elder in Drymonas, Evia said the monastery was filled with smoke from the fire that was roughly 1.5 km away and destroying everything in its path.

Meanwhile, access roads from Limni to the monastery have become blocked by fallen electricity poles and power cables and burnt trees, hampering the movement of fire brigade vehicles and forcing them to circle around via Rovies to reach the fire.

In the meantime, teams from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) are making superhuman efforts to restore damage to the electricity grid in the area, which is extensive according to reports.