A powerful forest fire is burning north of Athens, which has forced thousands of residents to evacuate and the ancient city of Marathon is one of the areas where emergency services are moving them.
The official of the fire service, Vasilis Vatrakogiannis, emphasized that the fire was spreading rapidly, despite the fact that the firefighters worked all night with superhuman efforts.
He pointed out that the fire is moving towards the village of Penteli northwest of Athens and that two hospitals were evacuated early this morning.
More than 500 firefighters and 150 vehicles are working to extinguish the fire, the British “BBC” reports.
According to the Greek fire services, the fire is still burning in the Varnava settlement.
Fire crews are working to evacuate people trapped by flames from 20 to 25 vehicles that tried to flee the area.
As of Saturday afternoon, forty fires have broken out in Greece and firefighters are fighting seven more fires.
Authorities declared a state of emergency as firefighters, supported by helicopters and water-bombing planes, battled to contain the flames that were rapidly advancing toward residential areas. The fire, described as one of the worst in recent years, has already engulfed large swathes of forest, with thick smoke visible from central Athens.
Residents in the path of the fire were ordered to evacuate immediately as the flames approached. Local officials reported that several villages, including the towns of Thrakomakedones and Varympompi, were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Temporary shelters have been set up in nearby areas to accommodate those displaced by the fire.
“We are facing an extremely difficult situation,” said Christos Stylianides, Greece’s Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. “Our primary concern is the safety of our citizens, and we are doing everything in our power to control this devastating fire.”
Emergency services have been stretched thin as they respond to multiple fronts of the fire. In addition to the firefighting efforts, police and military units have been deployed to assist with evacuations and protect property. Several roads leading to the affected areas have been closed, and residents in Athens have been advised to stay indoors due to the thick smoke blanketing parts of the city.
The fire comes amid a prolonged heatwave that has gripped Greece and much of southern Europe, with temperatures soaring above 40°C (104°F) in some areas. The extreme heat and dry conditions have created a perfect storm for wildfires, and authorities have been on high alert for potential outbreaks.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his concern over the situation, calling for solidarity and support from the international community. “We are in the midst of a climate crisis that is testing our resilience. We call on our European partners to assist us in this difficult hour,” Mitsotakis said in a televised address.
The fire near Athens is just one of several blazes burning across Greece as the country faces another challenging summer. Last year, Greece experienced some of the most destructive wildfires in its history, leading to widespread devastation and loss of life. The government has since invested in strengthening its firefighting capabilities, but the scale of this year’s fires has once again highlighted the vulnerability of the region to climate-induced disasters.
As the firefighting efforts continue, residents remain on high alert, hoping that the flames can be brought under control before more damage is done. The situation is being closely monitored, with more resources expected to be deployed to the area in the coming hours.
Photo: illustration
