Hundreds of firefighters, supported by dozens of firefighting aircraft, are battling a large forest fire on the northern outskirts of the Greek capital.
Hospitals and towns around Athens and some suburbs were evacuated early Monday morning. More than a dozen other areas had to be evacuated. Sports halls and hotels are being prepared to accommodate evacuees.
Firefighters appealed to residents to follow Civil Defense evacuation orders. Authorities pointed out that some people who refused to leave their homes later became trapped and had to be rescued, putting the lives of firefighters at risk.
The fire sent a plume of smoke over the Greek capital and darkened the sky. It started about 35km from Athens on Sunday afternoon but raced towards the city, fanned by strong winds and fuelled by the dry, bone-dry weather that quickly pushed the fire out of control.
According to authorities, climate change is leading to larger and more frequent forest fires.
Meteorologists and government officials are warning of the increased risk of forest fires. Half of the country is on “red alert” due to the risk of forest fires, said Vassilis Kikilias, Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Last year, more than 20 people lost their lives in the country due to forest fires. Following a particularly dry winter, the country suffered several heat waves this summer.
June and July were the hottest months ever recorded in the country.
