The municipality of Ancient Olympia, in NW Peloponnese, which includes the original site of the Olympic Games, was ordered to evacuate on Wednesday for precautionary reasons due to a fire in nearby Iraklia.

The community of Miraka was also evacuated due to a fire, the Fire Brigade reported.

The situation there is "very difficult," Ilia Region Vice-Governor Vassilis Giannopoulos told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA). 

Authorities have so far evacuated another 8 villages in the municipality of Ancient Olympia: Pelopion, Platanos, Kafkania, Iraklia, Pournari, Koskina, Magiro, and Kladeo.   

At Iraklia, some 95 firefighters and 31 fire engines with 4 ground teams are battling the blaze, assisted by 4 aircraft and 2 helicopters. 

Traffic is banned on the Tripoli-Pyrgos national highway from the 124th km to the 130th km, police added. 

Civil Protection Minister Michalis Chryssochoidis and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni were at the area on Wednesday evening.

Protecting the museum

All that can be done to protect the museum of Ancient Olympia and the archaeological site from the raging fires in the area, where the Olympic Games started, is being done, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said late on Wednesday.

At the site, the minister said that "the fire protection system works properly, while the Fire Brigade and Civil Protection are fully coordinated and opening fire zones," she said.
 

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