Top line
More than a dozen towns and several hospitals north of Athens have been evacuated in the past 48 hours as Greece’s worst wildfire so far this year continues to rage despite the efforts of more than 650 firefighters, nearly 200 fire trucks and dozens of aerial firefighters.
A car burns during a forest fire in the village of Varnava, north of Athens, Greece, August 11, 2024.
Key data
The fire broke out on Sunday afternoon and was described as “extremely dangerous” by Vassilis Kikilias, Greece’s minister for climate crisis and civil protection. According to CNN, it is on track to next hit Penteli, a village about 10 miles northeast of Athens.
Eight surrounding villages were asked to evacuate on Sunday and on Monday at least five more communities, two hospitals, monasteries and a children’s home were put on the evacuation list.
On Monday, plumes of smoke could be seen on the horizon of the Parthenon in Athens, which stands about 150 meters above sea level, as the fire continued to spread towards the densely populated area (the city and its surrounding suburbs are home to about three million people, and tens of millions of people visit the city every year).
According to NBC News, several citizens and firefighters have been injured or treated in hospitals since the fire started, but no deaths have been reported.
According to official reports, the flames reached a height of over 25 metres at times. Strong winds and hot, dangerous weather conditions have helped them spread, so that half of Greece is on red alert until Thursday.
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A house burns in a forest fire in Varnavas, north of Athens, on Sunday.
A house burns in Varnava, Greece.
A local gets into his car in front of the flames to evacuate during a forest fire in Dione on August 12. … (+)
Important background
Wildfires are not uncommon in Greece. Last year, fires in the country killed more than 20 people, and in 2018, more than 100 people died when a massive blaze swept through the town of Mati. Five officials and the owner of the property where the 2018 fire started were later convicted of criminal negligence in connection with the blaze. Sunday’s fire broke out after Greece experienced its hottest months on record in June and July, making the region primed for fire. Three of the four warmest July temperatures in Greece in the past 80 years have been recorded in the past four years, and this July was 0.54 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the previous record.
Large number
3.05 million. That’s how many people visited Greece in May, according to the latest data from economic data firm CEIC, which cites figures from the Bank of Greece. Tourism to Greece has exploded in recent years, growing by 120% between 2019 and 2023, when a record number of tourists (36 million) visited the country. Last fall, tourism officials announced that a 20,000-person cap would be introduced for the archaeological site of the Athenian Acropolis, where the Parthenon temple is located, to protect it from overcrowding.
A woman reacts after being rescued from a forest fire in the village of Varnava on Sunday.
A local woman is evacuated with her cat from Dion, Greece on Monday.
Smoke rises above the Parthenon temple during a forest fire on Monday.
More information
