A wildfire raged through a northern suburb of Athens, Greece, on Saturday, prompting evacuation orders for residents, according to the country’s fire service.
Vassilis Vathrakoyannis, the fire service spokesman, informed reporters that residents of Kryoneri, located 12.5 miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS messages instructing them to evacuate to secure areas.
Greek media outlets have shown images of houses engulfed in flames. The spokesman stated, “There have been reports of damage. We will assess the extent once the fires are extinguished.”
“The real difficulties are ahead of us,” Mr. Vathrakoyannis cautioned, adding that Greece has requested six firefighting aircraft from the European Union’s civil protection mechanism.
Currently, 145 firefighters, 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes, and seven helicopters are battling the blaze, but the cause of the fire remains unknown.
Four ambulances are providing medical assistance to at least five people, predominantly elderly individuals, who are experiencing respiratory problems.
Temperatures at or above 38 degrees Celsius, combined with dry conditions and strong winds, are fueling the fire.
Mr. Vathrakoyannis explained that under these conditions, wildfires “spread very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to persist in the coming days.”
The fire service is also combating three other significant fires in the southwest, specifically on Greece’s two largest islands, Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens, as well as on the island of Kythera, situated northwest of Crete.
A total of 335 firefighters, 19 aircraft, and 13 helicopters are participating in the efforts, although aerial operations are limited to daylight hours.
The spokesman reported that fifty-two wildfires have erupted across the country in the last 24 hours.
Destructive wildfires have become an increasingly common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the last month.
