A forest fire in Greece spread rapidly to the outskirts of Athens on Monday, driven by strong winds, burning trees and destroying homes and cars, forcing the evacuation of several hospitals and dozens of towns and villages, Greek authorities said.
Since May, hundreds of forest fires have ravaged Greece. While summer fires are common in Greece, the extremely hot and dry weather caused by climate change has made them more frequent and intense. In addition, forest fires caused by extreme temperatures this month have also occurred in parts of Spain and the Balkans.
More than 670 firefighters, assisted by volunteers, 183 fire engines, 32 water bombers and helicopters, are helping to extinguish the latest forest fire that broke out at 3 p.m. local time on Sunday near Varnavas, 35 kilometers north of the capital.
On Monday, Greece's worst fire this year spread to the village of Grammatiko, the coastal municipality of Nea Makri and the densely populated northern suburbs of Athens around the densely forested Mount Penteli.
“It hurts, we have grown up in this forest. We feel deep sadness and anger,” Marina Kalogerakou (24 years old) told Reuters outside his house which was almost consumed by fire.
Strong winds constantly changed the direction of the fire, and the area burned was estimated to be 30 kilometers.
Winds are expected to pick up in the coming hours, fanning the flames, said Theodore Giannaros, a researcher at the National Observatory in Athens. “We are facing very difficult days ahead,” he told state TV, ERT.
Firefighting aircraft resumed operations Monday morning after an overnight hiatus. Police reported helping evacuate at least 250 people in danger. Some residents were staying in shelters, but authorities could not immediately provide an exact number.
At least three hospitals and several communities have been evacuated in the Penteli area.
The fire, with flames 25 metres high, had spread “like lightning” due to strong winds, fire department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said on Sunday.
Thick clouds of smoke darkened the skies over Athens on Sunday night. Hours later, the fire approached the residential area of Dionysos, about 23 kilometers (14 miles) northeast of the city center, and surrounding districts.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the firefighting operations center on Monday morning after returning from a shortened vacation on the island of Crete, still vividly remembering the 2018 fire that killed 104 people in the coastal town of Mati, near the capital.
After its warmest winter on record and a long period with little or no rain, Greece is set to experience its hottest summer on record. The country is on high fire alert until at least Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
“Unfortunately, the forecast was confirmed,” Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said in a televised statement, adding that the country's response was swift, with the first aircraft operating five minutes after the fire broke out. (ah/es)
