Thousands flee forest fires in Greece
According to Greek broadcaster ERT, a 30-kilometer-wide and up to 25-meter-high wall of fire approached Athens on Monday. Firefighters fought the flames throughout the night, "but despite superhuman efforts, the fire spread rapidly," said fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis. More than 670 firefighters were deployed with 183 fire engines, as well as 32 aircraft and helicopters.
In the Athenian suburb of Penteli, threatened by the flames, a children's hospital and a military clinic had to be evacuated. Eight people with breathing problems were hospitalized due to smoke. The Olympic Stadium in Athens was opened as an emergency shelter for people fleeing the flames.
"We are facing a catastrophe of biblical proportions," said Marathon's mayor Stergios Tsirkas to broadcaster Skai. "The whole city is on fire."
After the warmest winter on record, June and July were also the hottest months ever recorded in Greece since 1960. The forest fire risk is extremely high, with several fires breaking out daily.
For Monday, temperatures up to 39 degrees Celsius were forecast for Athens, with winds up to 50 kilometers per hour expected. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cut short his summer vacation due to the fires and returned to the capital.
On the contrary, most Athenians chose to stay indoors on the typically bustling streets of Athens on Sunday, as smoke from the ongoing fires tainted the air. The devastating fire that approached Athens on Monday had already consumed vast areas of forest and vegetation, posing a significant threat to Marathon and other nearby cities.
