Firefighters break through firewall outside Athens
The largest wildfire of the year forces thousands out of their homes in Greece. It's snowing ash in the capital, Athens, and there are power outages. Firefighters get help from abroad and report a first success.
In the battle against the massive wildfire northeast of Athens, the Greek fire service has made progress. There is no longer a continuous wall of flames, but rather a series of smaller active fire spots, a fire service spokesman told the Greek news agency ANA overnight. The large-scale operation to contain the vast fire front continues.
The fire broke out on Sunday afternoon about 35 kilometers from Athens and spread rapidly through the drought-stricken forest due to strong winds. Thick smoke hung over the city center and it was snowing ash. There were power outages in the city, which also affected traffic lights at major intersections. Experts say a major fire has never come so close to the capital before. On Monday afternoon, the flames were only about 11 kilometers from the city center. At times, firefighters were battling a fire front of around 200 square kilometers fanned by strong winds. According to official figures, this front was almost 30 kilometers long.
Thousands of people had to leave their homes, some buildings fell victim to the flames. According to official figures, there were 15 injuries in the fire areas, most of them due to smoke inhalation. According to the newspaper "Kathimerini", some hospitals also had to be evacuated - including a children's clinic in Penteli. The civil protection agency announced on Monday evening that the focus of the operation is now on the fire spots in Daou Pentelis, Palea, Nea Penteli, Dionyssos, Vrilissia and Afidnes.
Several countries have sent help to Greece: In addition to hundreds of firefighters, dozens of water-dropping aircraft and helicopters have been deployed. Even Turkey, whose political relations with neighboring Greece are strained, announced its support in the evening.
Firefighting efforts against the massive wildfire northeast of Athens have intensified, with firefighters battling a fire front of around 200 square kilometers fanned by strong winds. International aid has also played a crucial role in firefighting, as several countries, including Turkey, have provided assistance with hundreds of firefighters, water-dropping aircraft, and helicopters.
