Greece battles deadly wildfire for third day

ATHENS

Greek emergency services battled a massive wildfire threatening Athens for a third day on Tuesday as two firefighting planes and a helicopter sent by Türkiye joined efforts to fight the blazes.

The body of a Moldovan woman was found in a burned-out factory and at least 66 people have been treated for injuries since the fire broke out on Aug. 11, authorities said. Five firefighters have been hurt.

Fueled by strong winds, the wildfire raced across parched landscape northeast of the capital, destroying dozens of houses, cars and businesses in the 10,000 hectares of land it has devastated.

The Greek government appealed for assistance from other European nations. France, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania and Serbia, along with Türkiye, were sending hundreds of firefighters along with helicopters, fire engines and water tankers.

The fire has badly hit the suburbs of Nea Penteli, Palaia Penteli, Patima Halandriou and Vrilissia.

Halandri Mayor Simos Roussos told ERT state television that he had seen nearly a dozen homes destroyed by fire in his town. Numerous businesses, used car and coal yards and paint warehouses were also affected, he said.

"The fire traveled 50 kilometers and changed direction 10 times," Roussos said.

In nearby Penteli, a helicopter waterbombed huge balls of flame coming from a warehouse containing wood and what is believed to be propane tanks. Locals fled loud explosions, which sent items flying.

The Labor Ministry banned outdoor working in areas hit by the fires because so many burned factories contained toxic chemicals.

With much of the capital covered by acrid smoke for two straight days, scientists reported an alarming rise in hazardous airborne particles, particularly from Aug. 11 night to Aug. 12 night.

Hundreds of firefighters, backed by around 200 fire engines and 12 water-bombing aircraft battled the blaze that started in Varnavas, some 35 kilometers from Athens.

Greece's National Observatory, itself threatened by the wildfire, said temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius were expected on Tuesday, with winds of up to 39 kilometers per hour.

Greece's conservative government came under attack from the press over the fire.

"Enough is enough," thundered the front page of Greece's top-selling centrist daily Ta Nea. The liberal Kathimerini said the "out of control" inferno "had left huge destruction [and] unanswered questions."

"Evacuate Maximou," said the left-wing Efsyn daily, referring to the building housing the prime minister's office.

The blaze scaled Mount Pentelikon, also known as Mount Pentelicus, that overlooks the capital and bore down on suburbs that are home to tens of thousands of residents.

Dozens of evacuation orders were issued and many thousands fled.