EU firefighters to join as Greece battles blaze
ATHENS
A general view of the of Athens with the Acropolis hill as fire burns the northern part of the city on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, while hundreds of firefighters tackle a major wildfire raging out of control on fringes of Greek capital.
Greece battled a massive wildfire near Athens for a third day on Tuesday, with hundreds of European firefighters due to join the effort to contain the deadly blaze that has scorched parts of the capital's suburbs.
Fuelled by strong winds, Greece's worst wildfire this year raced across a parched landscape, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes as it wreaked widespread destruction around the Greek capital.
At least one person has died and at least 66 people have been treated for injuries. Two firefighters have also been hurt.
In addition to numerous settlements and three hospitals that were evacuated earlier, residents of the village of Vranas were advised Monday night to leave.
Public broadcaster ERT announced that the fire, which had earlier expanded in three major fronts, was presently raging in only one front, Ano Souli.
Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said there was a single active front but scattered outbreak as of the evening.
It added that a charred body, likely of a woman, was found by firefighters in the area of Patima Vrilissia early Tuesday.
The National Meteorological Service, citing images from the European Sentinel 2 satellite, reported that over 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) were burnt to ashes by the wildfire as of noon Monday.
Television footage showed several charred cars and the roofs of stately homes burning as water-bombing helicopters roared overhead.
Smoke drifted through central Athens as thick grey clouds engulfed Mount Pentelikon, which is known for yielding the marble used in the Acropolis and other ancient buildings.
The fire gutted a sports hall in Nea Penteli and many homes and businesses in the surrounding area.
The National Observatory, Greece's foremost institute monitoring natural hazards, narrowly escaped.
The Observatory website meteo.gr said 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) had been devastated by midday Monday.
Greece on Monday formally called for EU assistance.
Following the call for international help by the Greek government, additional firefighters, helicopters, fire engines and water tankers were expected to join the effort from France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Türkiye, authorities said.
"The EU civil protection mechanism was activated upon request of the Greek authorities," EU spokesman Balazs Ujvari said in a statement.
He added that Italy, France, the Czech Republic and Romania were sending units to help.
Expressing solidarity, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We stand with Greece as it battles devastating fires. The EU is sending support from its rescEU (EU Civil Protection Mechanism) fleet: two planes from Italy and a helicopter from France. Firefighting teams from the Czech Republic and Romania are also being deployed. This is EU solidarity in action.”
After offering help to its Aegean neighbor, Türkiye on Monday also announced that it will send two firefighting planes and one helicopter to help Greece fight the blaze.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had earlier cut short a vacation to Crete and returned to the capital Sunday.
Strong winds
The wildfire started on Sunday afternoon in the town of Varnavas, some 35 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of Athens.
Fanned by strong winds, it grew to a 30-kilometre long frontline of flames, more than 25 metres (80 feet) high in places, according to state TV ERT.
"I heard my animals bleating and dying," Dimitris Megagiannis, a goat herder near Palaia Penteli, told Mega TV station.
The fire department said over 700 firefighters with nearly 200 fire engines were trying to contain the fire, but dozens of water-bombing aircraft had to retire after dark.
Authorities opened the Olympic stadium in northern Athens and other sports facilities to house thousands of people evacuated from the path of the blaze. Three major hospitals have been placed on standby.
One firefighter suffered serious burns and another was hospitalised with breathing trouble, fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.
The health ministry said 66 people had been treated for injuries related to the fire since Sunday.
Several smaller communities and towns, including Marathon, started to evacuate on Sunday.
Several small clinics and hospitals in the area followed suit.
"Civil protection forces battled hard throughout the night, but despite superhuman efforts, the fire evolved rapidly," Vathrakogiannis said.
The wind had rekindled the fire in 40 different locations on Monday, he said.
The destruction revived memories of the disaster in Mati, the coastal area near Marathon where 104 people died in July 2018 in a tragedy later blamed on evacuation delays and errors.
The summer wildfire season in Greece this year has seen dozens of daily blazes after the Mediterranean country recorded its warmest winter and the hottest June and July since reliable data collection began in 1960.
The National Observatory said temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) are expected in Athens on Tuesday, with winds of up to 39 kilometres (24 miles) per hour.