Greece asks other countries for help over a huge fire

ATHENS (EFE).— Greece yesterday asked for help from other European countries to combat the huge fire that broke out the day before on the outskirts of Athens and is now spreading to urban areas in the north of the capital, while it continues to spread uncontrolled and rapidly.

“A request has been made to the Civil Protection Service of the European Union (EU) to support Greece with air and land resources to fight the fire,” a spokesman for the Greek Fire Department told EFE.

More than 700 firefighters, with 190 trucks, 17 planes and 15 helicopter tankers, are currently operating in the vast area north and east of Athens ravaged by the flames, he added.

Evictions

With a front of more than 40 kilometers, the fire has already led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Firefighters are focusing their efforts on the urban areas of Ano Vrilissia and Patima Khalandriu, which are practically within the urban fabric of the city, about 13 kilometres northeast of the centre, and where several houses are currently burning, public television ERT reports.

These two areas have already been evacuated, as have the villages of Nea Pendeli and Paliá Pendeli, in the first of which the flames reached some houses as well as the village school, SKAI television reported.

Twenty-four unaccompanied migrant minors who were staying in a state facility have also been evacuated from the area, as well as three hospitals – one for children with 24 children, another military hospital and a third with 37 patients – and several children’s camps.

So far, 13 people have been treated by doctors or in health centres for minor respiratory problems, while one firefighter is hospitalised “with serious burns to his feet and hands,” the fire department reported.

Origen

The fire, which started Sunday near the town of Varnava, about 40 kilometres north of Athens, spread rapidly southwards yesterday.

Authorities yesterday ordered the evacuation of some 15 villages south, east and north of Mount Penteli, adding to more than 15 villages evacuated the day before.

In total, it is estimated that more than 40,000 people have already been forced to leave their homes, although this number is likely to be much higher, as there are also many summer residences of Athenian citizens in this area.

Greek police special teams rescued around 250 people trapped in the affected areas last night and yesterday morning, most of them in their homes, according to broadcaster SKAI.

“The winds are very strong and the morphology of the terrain and the vegetation, which are mainly pines and holly trees that burn quickly, are not helping us either,” said a spokesperson for the Fire Department.

Dozens of houses have already been destroyed, and explosions can also be heard in the urban area of ​​Ano Vrilisia as the flames spread through warehouses and other facilities.

Power outages are reported in several areas in northern Athens, as the electricity grid has also been damaged.

In the northern part of the fire perimeter, firefighters are battling different fronts near Lake Marathon, where several towns are also threatened.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the smoke in the capital region can be seen from space and traveled about 300 kilometers south of Athens to reach the island of Kythera.

Danger High alert

Greece on high alert over ‘exceptionally dangerous’ fire near Athens

Surface

Last night, the National Observatory indicated that satellite images show that the fire has already affected some 10,000 hectares.

Countries that help

France, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Romania, Türkiye and Spain.

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