Flammehav 700-800 meters from Svein’s apartment: – The children have asked me to come home

Briefly summarized

• Greek authorities have evacuated at least 13 local communities northeast of Athens due to extensive forest fires.

• Hundreds of firefighters, fire planes and helicopters are battling the flames, which have destroyed homes and forests.

• Two hospitals evacuated and the Olympic stadium opened as emergency accommodation for evacuees.

• Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cut short his holiday to deal with the crisis, strong winds ensure spread.

• Pensioner Svein Strugstad from Trondheim awaits evacuation in the coastal town of Nea Makri, despite an evacuation notice.

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Hundreds of firefighters and a number of fire planes and helicopters are working hard on Monday to try to control the flames in extensive forest fires that have already consumed trees and several homes outside the Greek capital Athens.

In addition to the several thousand people who were ordered to evacuate from at least eight villages in Greece on Sunday, at least five other communities northeast of Athens have now been evacuated.

A number of other villages are asked to be prepared to evacuate at short notice.

Svein Strugstad from Trondheim is close to the forest fire-affected areas in Greece.
Photo: Private

– Woke up last night

Svein Strugstad from Trondheim is close to the forest fire-affected areas, but is waiting, despite an evacuation warning. He first told his story to VG.

– I’m sitting by the beach now and have just had a beer, says a calm Strugstad on the phone from Greece on Monday afternoon.

The retired journalist and musician lives in Trondheim, but is on holiday in his apartment in the coastal town of Nea Makri in Eastern Attikí, half an hour’s drive north-east of Athens.

– I was woken last night by intense helicopter activity over the apartment. They have flown shuttle traffic and taken up water off the beach here to dump over the flames. They have been going all day, but right now it looks like they have taken a break, he says.

According to his own estimates, his holiday apartment is no more than 700-800 meters away from the forest fire-affected areas.

The picture was taken from outside Svein Strugstad’s apartment in Nea Makri.
Photo: Private

Two hospitals evacuated

At dawn on Monday, two hospitals in Penteli were evacuated, a military hospital and a children’s hospital, according to Vathrakogiannis.

The flames have already consumed trees, houses and vehicles, and black smoke hangs heavily over the villages.

According to Greek broadcaster ERT, a 30-kilometer-long wall of flames stretches more than 25 meters into the air and is moving ever closer to Athens.

Eight people have already been hospitalized with respiratory problems, and the authorities have opened the Olympic Stadium in northern Athens to house those who have had to leave their homes.

The fire service has deployed 510 firefighters and 152 fire engines in the effort, and at dawn 29 fire planes also began an extinguishing effort.

Strugstad took this picture on Monday in Nea Makri.
Photo: Private

The Prime Minister canceled the holiday

“Forest fire near you. Follow the instructions from the authorities”, says an SMS sent out to people in the Attica region, which, among other things, indicates in which direction people should flee.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cut short his holiday and returned to Athens on Sunday evening to deal with the crisis.

On Sunday, the fire service managed to get control of 33 out of 40 forest fires that had broken out in the last 24 hours, but is struggling to get control of the remaining seven.

The flames have sent a blanket of smoke over central Athens. The forest fire broke out on Sunday afternoon around 35 kilometers outside the Greek capital and quickly got out of control as a result of strong winds.

Svein Strugstad has received the authorities’ emergency warning to evacuate southwards, but is keeping calm for the time being.

– I have some children at home who have asked me to come home. But I don’t think it’s necessary. The wind direction is right now for us. It is an onshore wind, which means that flames and smoke are blowing away from the city, he says.

– You’re not afraid of the wind turning, then?

– No, not really. But if it gets dramatic, I’ll get on my bike.

– So you have a plan for an escape route if necessary?

– Yes, I have it. It will be cycling along the coast.

– Sad to see

Already on Saturday, Greece’s Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Preparedness, Vassilis Kikilias, warned of the danger of forest fires in half the country as a result of drought, strong winds and high temperatures.

Hundreds of wildfires have broken out across Greece this summer, which just recorded its hottest June and July on record. The winter that was is also the warmest Greek meteorologists have recorded.

Last year more than 20 people lost their lives in wildfires in Greece, including 18 migrants and refugees who were trapped when a sea of ​​flames tore through a forest in northeastern Greece.

– It is sad to see the vegetation on fire. It is beautiful nature that is now getting ugly marks, says Strugstad.

PS: Svein Strugstad was for many years employed as a journalist in Adresseavisen. He retired in 2013.