On Monday, the peripheries of Athens were engulfed by a severe wildfire, which claimed at least one life, resulted in multiple evacuations and hindered the firefighting efforts of hundreds of personnel and aerial teams due to high winds. Within the Vrilissia suburb, in a charred building, firefighters discovered a deceased individual, though further details are momentarily unavailable.
The fire commenced near Marathon Lake, approximately 35km northeast of Athens, on Sunday. It sprawled across Mount Pendeli and extended to Athens’ northern suburbs, causing numerous suburban homes and businesses, as well as those around the lake, to burn down.
Despite Greece being on high alert, progress was reported against the swift, vast fire, which erupted flames reaching heights over 25m, after wind conditions eased on Monday evening. Fire Department spokesperson, Colonel Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, indicated that the fight has diverted to “several smaller, active fires”, primarily in the vicinity of Marathon and Pendeli.
Historically significant, the Marathon region, which bears traces of a prominent Greek-Persian battle in 490 BC and is home to a museum and archaeological site, is yet to report any damage to either location due to the blaze.
Following Athens’ request for international aid and its activation of Europe’s mutual civil protection mechanism, Greek firefighters are expected to be augmented by reinforcements from overseas as early as Tuesday. Meanwhile, a combination of smoke and ash enveloped central Athens, power cuts caused disruptions throughout areas of the Greek capital, and traffic lights at key junctions failed.
Official sources reported that the fire had inflicted injuries on at least 18 people, primarily through smoke inhalation as the flames spread to the furthest parts of a suburb. An analysis of satellite imagery by Greece’s National Observatory reveals that the wildfire had impacted nearly 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres).
France has committed to send a helicopter, 200 firefighters and 28 fire engines, while Italy is preparing two planes equipped for water-dropping, and the Czech Republic will contribute with 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles. Serbia and Romania are also organising assistance. Nearby Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has announced their intention to dispatch two planes and a helicopter dedicated to firefighting, while Spain is finalising their support plan for Greece.
The wildfire is currently advancing through parched pine forests, which have been made vulnerable by recurrent heatwaves this summer. Greece experienced its hottest ever June and July of this year, following on from its warmest winter on record.
Vassilis Kikilias, the officials in charge of civil protection and climate crisis, described the fire as highly dangerous, stating efforts to suppress it have been ongoing for over a day, under severely challenging conditions. The fire is chiefly spread across two fronts, including some regions on a mountain northeast of Athens that are particularly inaccessible, added Kikilias.
A reported 685 firefighters, supported by 27 specialist wildfire teams and over 80 military personnel, are currently tackling the fire. Over 190 vehicles have been deployed and 17 planes along with 16 helicopters are providing aerial assistance.
Buildings evacuated include a children’s hospital, a military hospital, two monasteries, and a children’s home, with another hospital scheduled for evacuation on Monday afternoon. Over two dozen emergency notifications were sent to mobiles in the area, advising residents to evacuate, and numerous homes have been destroyed, though the precise number remains unconfirmed.
A local resident of Dioni, Spyros Gorilas, described the scene: “The wind and the smoke were unbearable – constantly shifting direction. Our eyes were watering and it became difficult to breathe. We couldn’t see anything, not even the property. The helicopter dropping water was invisible, only identifiable by the sound of its rotors.”
More evacuation mandates are being issued for extra suburbs in Athens as the powerful winds persist.
Colonel Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, a representative from the fire brigade, announced that red-hot zones of the wildfire have reignited over 40 times since early Monday, challenging the authorities. The capital’s three hospitals were on high alert, with emergency medical teams treating two fire service personnel for minor burns and respiratory issues, as well as helping 13 civilians with breathing difficulties.
The regional Medical Association in Athens issued a warning urging locals residing near the affected locations to be vigilant, especially those with ongoing health conditions, senior citizens, expectant mothers, young children, and individuals with respiratory and cardiac complications.
Due to the wildfire, Greece’s maritime enforcement agency commanded the redirection of all ferries departing from or arriving at the nearby Rafina port, prevalently servicing the Cycladic islands and Crete, to the Lavrion port.
The local authorities have commenced preparations for evacuations, providing spaces in sports facilities and arranging rooms in hotels for the evacuees, with additional suburbs preparing for possible evacuation requirements.
The police force reported the mobilisation of 380 officers equipped with 77 vehicles, 36 motorbikes, three buses and four vans aiding in the evacuation process, having successfully manoeuvred over 250 individuals from the fire’s trajectory by midmorning. They shared a video on their social media platforms showing the police helping the elderly escape their homes to the safety of waiting vehicles amidst a dusk sky painted red by the flames.
The fire, originating about 35 kilometres from Athens on Sunday, quickly escalated due to the strong winds, forming a large, semicircular front on the city’s northeastern outskirts and draping the city centre in a smoke curtain.
From Sunday to Thursday, meteorological and governmental authorities have alerted the public to increased wildfire risks due to the prevailing weather conditions, resulting in a ‘high risk’ wildfire alert for half of the nation.
The fire brigade urged locals to comply with evacuation directives from civil defence officials, bringing to light instances where initial refusal to evacuate resulted in entrapment needing rescue, further risking firefighters’ lives.
While wildfires are a common occurrence in Greece’s arid summers, the authorities have noted an increase in the frequency and scale of these disasters due to climate change.
In 2018, the coastal settlement of Mati, situated to the east of Athens, was ravaged by an extensive blaze. The inferno entrapped residents within their properties and on thoroughfares as they attempted to escape by car. The catastrophe claimed the lives of over 100 individuals, among whom some met their tragic end while attempting to escape the flames by swimming. Just last year, a series of forest fires throughout Greece resulted in the demise of over 20 individuals. This total included 18 migrants who got ensnared by the blazing outbreak as they journeyed through a forest in Greece’s northeastern region. The fire continued to rage unchecked for a period exceeding two weeks.