Greek authorities issued an evacuation warning for the coastal town of Nea Makri in eastern Attica on Tuesday as firefighters continued to battle a massive blaze in the Athens suburbs.
Hundreds of European firefighters, supported by fire engines and firefighting aircraft, have been trying to contain the worst forest fire of the year in Greece. According to Sky News, the fire broke out on Sunday about 32 kilometers from Athens.
Strong winds and scorching temperatures have created catastrophic conditions in the southern European country.
Greek authorities, which experienced the largest forest fire in European history last year, have ordered the evacuation of several towns in the capital’s northeastern suburbs in recent days.
Parthenon Temple in a cloud of smoke
This photo shows the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis hill in a cloud of smoke from a wildfire in Athens on August 12, 2024. On August 12, 2024, Greek civil protection authorities ordered the evacuation of several towns in the northeastern suburbs of Athens, threatened by a fierce fire that had broken out the previous day and was spreading.
Angelos Tzortzinis | Afp | Getty Images
A helicopter extinguishes a forest fire
A helicopter extinguishes a forest fire in Ano Patima near Penteli in the north of Athens. Just a few kilometers northeast of the Greek capital, firefighters are battling countless fires in an area of around 200 square kilometers. The government has now asked the EU for support.
Image Allianz | Image Allianz |
Firefighters try to extinguish a fire
Firefighters and local volunteers try to extinguish a forest fire in the Grammatikos region of Attica on August 12, 2024.
Afp | Getty Images
Residents cry as they try to save some belongings
Local residents cry as they try to save some belongings during a forest fire near Penteli, August 12, 2024. Greek civil protection authorities ordered the evacuation of several towns in the northeastern suburbs of Athens, threatened by a fierce fire that broke out the previous day and is spreading. The European Union said four countries – Italy, France, the Czech Republic and Romania – would send help at the request of Greece, which is battling a massive forest fire raging in the suburbs of Athens.
Angelos Tzortzinis | Afp | Getty Images
People run near a fire
People run near a fire during a forest fire in Nea Penteli, near Athens, Greece, on August 12, 2024.
Anadolu | Anadolu |
A firefighter with breathing apparatus
A fighter equipped with breathing apparatus stands in front of the flames of a forest fire in Vrilissia on the outskirts of Athens on August 12, 2024.
Afp | Getty Images
Smoke rises in the Attica region
In this aerial photo, smoke is seen rising from wildfire-affected areas in the Attica region on August 12, 2024. Greek civil protection authorities ordered the evacuation of several towns in the northeastern suburbs of Athens, threatened by a fierce fire that broke out the previous day and continues to spread.
Afp | Getty Images
