ATHENS: Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday afternoon, as the country braces for another scorching summer. Greece is experiencing a tough wildfire season following its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures soaring to 44°C (111°F).
Two major wildfires are currently raging in Attica, prompting evacuation orders for residents in eight areas near the capital. Approximately 140 firefighters, along with forest commandos, 39 vehicles, eight helicopters, and nine aircraft, are working to control the flames in Keratea, south of Athens. At least four houses have been completely destroyed, according to Ertnews.
“The situation is very difficult, as strong winds continue to blow, they have not subsided, and the outbreaks are many,” said Dimitris Loukas, mayor of Lavreotiki, to the Athens News Agency. “We are fighting a great battle.”
Loukas noted that the nearby military air base is not currently in danger from the flames, despite the strong winds creating new outbreaks.
This latest firefight comes just a day after another wildfire erupted in the same area, sparking evacuation orders but later being successfully controlled. Meanwhile, north of Athens, another blaze ignited in the suburb of Stamata, leading authorities to send emergency evacuation messages to residents.
Fire brigade spokesman Vasileios Vathrakogiannis described it as “the most difficult day of the year so far for the Fire Brigade.”
Island Fires
A fire also broke out Sunday in an industrial zone in Ritsona, near the island of Evia. Black smoke filled the sky after the fire started in a recycling factory, burning various flammable materials, including tires and mattresses. Firefighters are positioned along the old Ritsona national road, striving to prevent the flames from spreading to other factories in the area. The nearby refugee center is not believed to be in danger, according to the Athens News Agency.
Separately, a large wildfire that broke out on Serifos island on Saturday afternoon was brought under control by firefighters early Sunday. “All of southwestern Serifos has burned. We are talking about an area where the fire stopped at the sea,” Serifos mayor Konstantinos Revintis told MEGA TV. The fire caused damage to houses, cottages, warehouses, and chapels.
The Civil Protection Ministry’s Fire Danger Forecast Map issued for Sunday predicted a very high category 4 risk of fire for Attica, the Peloponnese, Crete, the North and South Aegean Regions, and central Greece.
Another wildfire ignited Saturday afternoon in the area of Mount Parnitha—known as “the lungs of Athens”—was controlled Saturday evening with the help of reinforcements from other regions and volunteer firefighters.
More than forty wildfires erupted across Greece on Saturday, with wind speeds exceeding 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour, according to fire brigade sources.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged Greeks to brace for a challenging wildfire season in his weekly Facebook post on Sunday. “The difficult times are still ahead of us. Our effort is continuous. In this effort, our allies are new tools that build a new culture of prevention and responsibility,” he said.
