Several villages and hospitals evacuated near Athens due to forest fires
Wildfires around Athens continue to spread. At least eleven locations and villages, along with several hospitals, have been evacuated, according to Greek authorities. Houses and cars burned down. Strong winds from different directions fanned the fires. Flames reached up to 25 meters in some places. Thick smoke hung over Athens on Sunday evening. The flames reached the suburb of Dionysos, about 24 kilometers northeast of the city center.
Hundreds of firefighters, supported by volunteers, were on the scene. Seventeen water-dropping aircraft and 15 helicopters were deployed to fight a fire near the town of Varnavas, about 35 kilometers north of Athens. However, the fires continued to spread. Fires have also broken out in the town of Marathon, the village of Grammatiko, and the coastal town of Nea Makri.
"Despite a tough fight and superhuman efforts overnight, the fire spread quickly and reached Mount Pendeli," a fire service spokesperson said. At least three hospitals in the northern Athens region had to be evacuated.
Since May, hundreds of wildfires have broken out across Greece. While this is not uncommon in Greece during the summer, unusually hot and dry weather, linked to climate change, has increased the frequency and intensity of the fires, according to scientists.
After the warmest winter ever recorded and a long period of extreme drought, Greece is now heading towards the hottest summer on record. Meteorologists say the entire week is critical, with authorities on alert until Thursday.
The fires in Athens have not yet been contained, causing additional evacuations in the town of Marathon, the village of Grammatiko, and the coastal town of Nea Makri. The intense heat and high winds from various directions are fueling the fires, making it challenging for firefighters and volunteers to extinguish them.
