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The fast-spreading forest fire tore through many nearby areas Greek The capital of Athens on Monday prompted authorities to ask residents to evacuate their homes.
Some 685 firefighters and 32 water-bombing aerial units have been deployed to battle the blaze that broke out on Sunday near the town of Varnavas, north of Athens, local officials said.
Emergency crews have been battling the “highly dangerous fire” for more than 20 hours under “dramatic conditions” exacerbated by strong winds, prolonged drought and impenetrable terrain in dense, unburnt forest, according to Climate Crisis and Civil Defense Minister Vasilis Kigilias. .
With 40 fires reported since early Monday morning, the fire department said there was no sign of abating.
Officials did not say how big the fire was, but Greek public broadcaster ERT estimated it was more than 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) across.
Fires were seen spreading near houses on Greek television. A few yards were burning. Not all residents have left the affected areas, instead staying behind in an attempt to save their homes.
Fire officials warned on Monday that the forest fire was spreading “with great speed” towards Penteli, 16 kilometers (about 10 miles) northeast of Athens. The area lies at the foothills of Bendeley Hill, surrounded by wooded landscapes. to Reuters.
According to Reuters, one local resident said it was “painful” to see the flames across his local forest. “We grew up in this forest. We feel a lot of sadness and anger,” said 24-year-old Marina Kalogerago.
“Things are very difficult, constant resuscitation, raining ash,” an exhausted firefighter told Greek TV.
Another resident crashed their car into a pine tree while trying to escape the fire, Reuters reported. “I can’t see,” said Pantelis Kyriazis, who pointed to his bleeding elbow.
Further south, in the Diony area, a resident encountered “suffocating” clouds of smoke as his house was flooded. Associated Press.
“The wind goes one way and then the other. The smoke was suffocating. You can’t see. Your eyes teared up. You can’t breathe,” said Spyros Gorillas.
Although wildfires are common in the Greek summer, climate scientists say unusually hot and dry weather associated with global warming is making flames fiercer and more common. Greek authorities have already battled dozens of blazes this summer during its hottest months of June and July.
Kigilias warned over the weekend that “extremely high and dangerous weather” would continue into Thursday.
Since Sunday, health and emergency workers have treated 13 civilians and two firefighters with burns and respiratory injuries, fire services said. Three hospitals in the Attica region have been put on alert. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said two dozen children had been evacuated from a hospital in Penteli.
“Winds were strong overnight creating dangerous conditions. Unfortunately, their intensity is expected to increase in the next few hours, and citizens of fire-growing areas should follow the instructions of the authorities in any case,” said Vasilios Vatragoiannis, the spokesman of the fire service.
Officials added, without specifying how many houses were damaged.
Forest fires in Greece have raised fears of a repeat Last summerAs flames burned through several regions and islands, including its heavily forested national park, dubbed the “lungs of Athens.”
There is CNN reported A recent increase in the number of missing people in Greece may be linked to extreme heat in the country. In June, several hikers went missing and were later found dead in various locations across the country. Officials have warned people not to underestimate the effects of extreme temperatures.
Updated as story develops.
