For the second consecutive day, hundreds of firefighters, aided by planes and helicopters, are battling three wildfires that erupted near Athens on Monday.
The initial fire broke out in Kouvaras, southeast of Athens, and rapidly spread, covering a distance of 12 km in just two hours due to strong winds. The blaze reached popular coastal resorts like Lagonisi and Saronida, causing damage to numerous homes.
Over 200 firefighters, supported by 20 soldiers, 68 fire engines, 10 aircraft, and six helicopters, are involved in the firefighting efforts. As of Tuesday, the fire has been largely contained, but the fire service remains on high alert for potential flare-ups. The second fire, described as the most challenging, is burning in the forest of Dervenoxoria, approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Athens. It involves 105 firefighters, three ground teams, 30 fire engines, seven airplanes, and four helicopters.
The primary objective is to prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby Mount Parnitha. The third fire broke out in the forest area of Kallithea near the resort town of Loutraki, moving eastward and leading to the evacuation of several settlements and home damage. At one point on Monday, the Athens-Corinth highway was temporarily closed.
On Monday, authorities reported a total of 81 fires across the country, with the most significant fronts near Athens, and they anticipate further fire incidents on Tuesday due to high temperatures and strong winds. The Greek Fire Service spokesman, Ioannis Artopoios, warned that “Tuesday will also be a very difficult day. There is a very high risk for fires,” as strong winds persist. The most vulnerable regions include Attica, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Crete, the Cyclades, and the North Aegean, where wind speeds were predicted to reach level 7 on the Beaufort scale in the Aegean.
Additionally, a second heatwave is expected to impact Greece later in the week. A foreign national who was questioned in connection with the fire in Kouvaras, identified as a 32-year-old Romanian, has been released due to a lack of evidence.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is attending a summit in Brussels, expressed his continuous concern over the fires, attributing them to climate change. He urged citizens to adhere to civil protection rules, acknowledging that Monday “was the first really tough day of this summer.”
“It is certain that more will follow. We’ve had, we have and will have fires, which is also one of the results of the climate crisis that we experience with increased intensity,” The Greek PM added.
