Wildfire has been spreading fast through several neighbourhoods close to the Greek capital of Athens on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents to evacuate their homes.
Some 685 firefighters and 32 water-bombing aerial units have been deployed to extinguish the blaze that began Sunday near the town of Varnavas, north of Athens, local authorities said.
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According to the climate crisis and civil protection minister, Vassilis Kikilias, emergency crews have been tackling “an extremely dangerous fire” for more than 20 hours, under “dramatic conditions” exacerbated by strong winds, prolonged drought and impenetrable terrain in dense, unburnt forest,The blaze showed no sign of subsiding, with 40 flare-ups recorded since the early hours of Monday morning, the fire services said.
Officials have not said how big the fire is, but Greek public broadcaster ERT estimates it exceeds 30 kilometers (about 19 miles).
Fires could be seen raging near houses on Greek TV. Some yards were burning. Not all residents have left affected areas, instead staying behind in an effort to save their homes.
Fire authorities warned Monday that the wildfire was raging towards Penteli, around 16 kilometers (about 10 miles) northeast of Athens, with “great momentum.”
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One Penteli resident said the sight of flames across her local forest “hurts,” according to Reuters. “We have grown up in this forest. We feel great sadness and anger,” said Marina Kalogerakou, 24.
“Things are very difficult and there is constant resurgence, raining ashes,” one visibly exhausted firefighter told Greek TV.
Although wildfires are common in Greek summers, climate scientists say that unusually hot and dry weather linked to global warming make the blazes fiercer and more common. Greek authorities have battled dozens of blazes already this summer after enduring its hottest June and July on record.
Kikilias warned over the weekend that “extremely high and dangerous weather conditions” would continue through Thursday.
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Since Sunday, health and emergency workers have treated 13 citizens and two firefighters with burn and respiratory injuries, fire services said. Three hospitals in the Attica region were on heightened alert. Two dozen children were evacuated from a hospital in Penteli, according to the health minister, Adonis Georgiadis.
“Winds overnight remained strong creating dangerous conditions. Unfortunately, their intensity is expected to increase in the next few hours and the citizens of the areas where the fire is developing should in any case follow the instructions of the authorities,” fire service spokesman Vasilios Vathrakoyiannis said.
Officials also said that homes have been damaged, without specifying how many.
According to a CNN report, In June, several tourists disappeared after going for a walk and were later found dead in several locations across the country.
