A rapidly advancing forest fire near the Greek capital Athens darkens the sky
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A forest fire raged northeast of Athens On Sunday, the sky darkened as the smell of smoke and soot permeated the Greek capital.
More than 400 firefighters, 110 fire engines and numerous volunteers fought the fire, which broke out around 3 p.m. local time, about 35 kilometers from Athens. The 15 firefighting planes and nine helicopters were in operation until late afternoon, but stopped their work at sunset.
The flames moved quickly toward Lake Marathon, a key reservoir that supplies water to Athens, said fire service colonel Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, a spokesman. An unknown number of houses were damaged.
A car burns during a forest fire in the village of Varnava, north of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Many regions of the country are on high alert due to high temperatures and wind speeds. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)
Vathrakogiannis said winds in the fire area had reached gale force and flames were over 25 metres high. Residents of villages near the fire area were warned to evacuate via emergency text messages.
By late afternoon, residents of some of Athens’ northern suburbs were also urged to do the same. Police said they had evacuated more than 200 people, mostly elderly people and others who had ignored warnings.
Another fire that broke out west of Athens has been contained, the spokesman said.
Hot and dry weather, exacerbated by strong winds, increases the risk of wildfires. June and July were the hottest months ever recorded in Greece, and the country also experienced its warmest winter on record.
Meteorologists and government officials warned of an increased risk of forest fires due to weather conditions from Sunday to Thursday. Half of the country will be on “red alert,” said Vassilis Kikilias, Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
