CNN
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A rapidly spreading wildfire continued to rage near the Greek capital Athens on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents to leave their homes.

According to Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, around 670 firefighters and 32 firefighting aircraft were deployed to extinguish the fire that broke out on Sunday near the town of Varnavas, north of Athens.

Rescue workers have been battling “an extremely dangerous fire” for more than 20 hours in “dramatic conditions” exacerbated by strong winds, persistent drought and impenetrable terrain in dense, unburned forests, Kikilias added.

He said conditions had improved in some areas.

Firefighters warned on Monday that the forest fire had “spread rapidly” and was heading towards Penteli, about 16 kilometers northeast of Athens.

Authorities have not released any information on the size of the fire, but Greek public broadcaster ERT estimates it to be over 30 kilometers (approximately 30 kilometers) wide.

Although Greece is prone to wildfires during the summer, climate scientists say unusually hot and dry weather linked to global warming is making the fires more intense and frequent. Greek authorities have already battled dozens of fires this summer after experiencing the hottest June and July on record.

Kikilias warned over the weekend that the “extremely high and dangerous weather conditions” would continue until Thursday.

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said two dozen children had been evacuated from a children’s hospital in Penteli and health centers had been put on high alert. Two hospitals had been evacuated, fire officials said.

“The strong winds overnight have created dangerous conditions. Unfortunately, their intensity is expected to increase in the next few hours. Residents of the fire areas should in any case follow the instructions of the authorities,” said fire department spokesman Vasilios Vathrakoyiannis.

Officials also said that houses had been damaged, but did not provide details on the number.

The forest fire has raised fears in Greece that the situation could repeat itself as it did last summer. At that time, several regions and islands in Greece were ravaged, including the forest-rich national park known as the “lungs of Athens”.

CNN reported that the recent increase in the number of missing people in Greece could be linked to the extreme heat in the country. In June, several tourists disappeared after a walk and were later found dead in several locations in the country. Authorities warned the population not to underestimate the impact of the scorching temperatures.

The story has been updated according to developments.