A massive wildfire raging on the northern outskirts of Athens forced the evacuation of hospitals and residential areas on Monday as hundreds of firefighters, aided by over two dozen water-dropping aircraft, struggled to contain the rapidly spreading blaze.
In the early hours of Monday, authorities evacuated a children’s hospital and a military hospital as the fire threatened to engulf parts of the Greek capital.
Evacuation orders were issued for more than a dozen regions, including Marathon and several suburbs of Athens, as thick smoke from the fire darkened the city’s skies.
Local officials opened a sports hall and arranged hotel accommodations to shelter those forced to flee their homes.
According to local reports, two firefighters sustained minor injuries, while several civilians were treated for smoke inhalation.
The fire, which ignited Sunday afternoon approximately 22 miles from Athens, was driven out of control by strong winds, exacerbated by exceptionally dry conditions following a summer of repeated heat waves and an unusually dry winter.
June and July of this year marked the hottest months ever recorded in Greece, which also experienced its warmest winter on record.
Meteorologists and government officials have raised alarms about the heightened risk of wildfires due to these extreme weather conditions, with much of the country under a “red alert” for wildfire hazards through Thursday, according to Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias.
By dawn on Monday, over 500 firefighters, including 16 specialized wildfire teams, were engaged in battling the flames, supported by 152 vehicles and numerous volunteers.
Twenty-nine aircraft, including planes and helicopters, launched water-dropping operations in two waves to combat the towering flames, which reportedly reached heights of more than 80 feet.
Authorities have urged residents to comply with evacuation orders, warning that those who refuse to leave their homes risk becoming trapped, thereby endangering both themselves and the firefighters tasked with rescuing them.
“During the night, the wind remained strong, creating dangerous situations,” said Col. Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the fire department.”
“Unfortunately, the intensity is expected to increase in the coming hours, and citizens in the affected areas must follow the directions of authorities.”
Wildfires are a frequent and deadly threat in Greece’s hot, dry summers, a danger exacerbated by climate change, which officials say is fueling larger and more frequent blazes.
In 2018, a devastating fire in the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, claimed the lives of more than 100 people as they were trapped in their homes and vehicles, or drowned while attempting to escape by sea.
Last year, wildfires in Greece led to over 20 deaths, including 18 migrants who were caught in a massive blaze while trekking through a forest in northeastern Greece. The fire raged for more than two weeks.
Greece is enduring an unprecedented heat wave that has had tragic consequences.
At least five tourists, including the well-known British TV doctor and journalist Michael Mosley, have died or gone missing in Greece in recent weeks.
Toby Sheets, an American tourist, was found dead on a beach in June on a small island west of Corfu.
The remains of a Dutch tourist were discovered on the eastern Greek island of Samos the day prior, and another American died on the island of Mathraki.
