Hundreds evacuated
Major fire keeps the north of Athens on tenterhooks
A major fire is raging north of Athens. Clouds of smoke rose and reached the Greek capital, which lies around 30 kilometers to the south.
Several villages and towns in the Varnavas and Marathon area were evacuated. Accompanied by fire engines and the police, hundreds of residents were brought to safety, as shown on Greek television.
A spokesman for the fire department told Greek radio: "The flames are rising more than 25 meters high." Shortly before sunset, 15 fire-fighting aircraft and eleven helicopters were in action, according to the fire department. "It's going to be a long night," a fire department officer told reporters on site, expressing his concern. Several hundred firefighters and many volunteers were deployed, he said.
Numerous people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital, according to Greek media reports. Television reporters reported that they had seen dozens of houses on fire.
Clashes between residents and police
In some cases, there were clashes between residents and the police. Many people refused to leave their homes despite the approaching flames and tried to save their belongings with garden hoses. Tourist facilities were not initially threatened, according to reports.
The situation remains extremely dangerous
Meteorologists and the civil defense had repeatedly warned over the weekend that due to the extreme drought and the current strong winds around the Aegean, the smallest fire could turn into a major blaze within minutes.
It initially remained unclear how the latest fire broke out. The Civil Defense published a map showing that the region around Athens and large parts of central Greece are at the highest fire risk level. The situation will remain extremely dangerous in the coming days, according to the Civil Defense. In most regions of Greece, it has not rained properly for months.
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