BTN News: A massive wildfire raged out of control on Monday in the northern outskirts of Greece’s capital, prompting numerous evacuation orders in Athens’ suburbs and surrounding areas. Strong winds hindered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and numerous aircraft that were dropping water to quell the flames. The fire, which started on Sunday afternoon, quickly spread through dry pine forests, a consequence of successive heat waves and a particularly dry summer in Greece. June and July were the hottest months ever recorded in the country, which also experienced its warmest documented winter.
Authorities were battling “an exceptionally dangerous fire that we’ve been fighting for over 20 hours under dramatic circumstances,” stated Vassilis Kikilias, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, late Monday morning. The blaze advanced mainly on two fronts, with some areas being particularly difficult to access on a mountain northeast of Athens.
A deployment of 685 firefighters, 27 specialized wildfire teams, and over 80 members of the armed forces were combating the flames, according to the fire department. More than 190 vehicles participated in the operation, supported by 17 planes and 16 water-dropping helicopters providing aerial assistance.
A children’s hospital, a military hospital, two monasteries, and a juvenile center were evacuated early in the morning. More than two dozen evacuation alerts were sent to cell phones in the area. Several houses caught fire, though the exact number was initially unclear.
In San Bernardino, California, residents of a hillside area had to leave their homes to escape the threat of a large wildfire. More evacuation orders were issued in the suburbs of the capital as strong winds continued. The fire had reignited in over 40 locations since early Monday in areas where it had previously subsided, according to fire department spokesperson Colonel Vassileios Vathrakogiannis.
Three hospitals in the capital were on alert for potential injuries. Ambulances and paramedics attended to two firefighters, one for minor burns and another for respiratory issues, while 13 civilians were treated for respiratory problems caused by dense smoke, Vathrakogiannis reported.
The Greek Coast Guard ordered all ferries from the nearby port of Rafina, which mainly serves the Cyclades and Crete islands, to be diverted to the port of Lavrion due to the fire. Authorities in nearby towns opened at least one sports center and offered hotel rooms to evacuees, with more suburbs on standby for possible evacuations.
A total of 380 police officers with 77 vehicles, 36 motorcycles, three buses, and four vans participated in the evacuations. By late morning, they had helped over 250 people leave the danger zone. The police released a video on social media showing officers carrying elderly residents from their homes to waiting vehicles, with the night sky turning red from the flames and smoke in the background.
The fire spread in a wide arc northeast of the capital, sending a massive cloud of smoke over central Athens that darkened the sky. It had started on Sunday afternoon about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Athens and quickly spiraled out of control, fueled by the wind. Authorities said the flames reached 25 meters (80 feet) in height in some areas.
Meteorologists and government officials warned of the heightened fire risk due to weather conditions between Sunday and Thursday. Half of the country was on red alert for fire risk, according to Vassilis Kikilias, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Firefighters urged residents to follow evacuation orders issued by civil protection. Authorities noted that some people who refused to leave their homes were later trapped and had to be rescued, endangering the lives of firefighters.
“Throughout the night, the wind remained strong, creating dangerous situations,” said Colonel Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, the fire department spokesperson. “Unfortunately, its intensity is expected to increase in the coming hours, and in any case, residents of areas where the fire is developing must follow the authorities’ instructions.”
Wildfires are common in Greece during its dry, hot summers, though authorities have stated that climate change is making these fires larger and more frequent. In 2018, a massive fire devastated the coastal town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping people in their homes and on roads as they tried to flee by car. More than 100 people died, including some who drowned while trying to escape the flames by swimming.
More than 20 people died last year in fires in Greece, including 18 migrants who were trapped by fire while crossing a forest in northeastern Greece during a massive fire that burned for over two weeks.
