Greece Orders Thousands to Evacuate as Wildfires Rage

AFP/APP

Athens: Greece has ordered thousands to evacuate as firefighters battle a spate of wildfires, with experts warning of more extreme weather next week.

Firefighters are contending with a “dangerous” blaze near Athens, causing smoke to cover parts of the capital in a dark haze. Evacuation orders have been issued for several towns, including the historic site of Marathon. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cut short his holiday and returned to Athens to address the crisis.

By Sunday afternoon, firefighters had managed to contain 33 out of 40 blazes that had erupted in the past 24 hours. However, seven fires continued to burn in the high Mediterranean summer heat, according to fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis.

On Saturday, Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias had warned that half the country was under a high-risk alert for fires due to extreme temperatures, wind gusts, and drought conditions.

Authorities ordered residents of Marathon, 40 kilometers east of Athens, to evacuate towards Nea Makri due to a wildfire burning since Sunday afternoon. In East Attica, a blaze in the Varnavas area spread to a pine forest, causing so much smoke that Athens glowed red at one point. The fire was still raging Sunday night.

Hundreds of people fled at least eight nearby villages while others tried to protect their homes by dousing the flames.

‘Everything is Burning’

“The situation remains dangerous given that the fire is raging in an area with houses and has caused damage,” Vathrakogiannis said. “Strong winds have rapidly spread the fire, creating new fronts behind containment lines.”

More than 400 firefighters, supported by 110 vehicles, 29 firefighting aircraft, and helicopters, are battling the flames, which in many cases have reached heights of more than 25 meters. Firefighters and forest commandos are expected to continue their efforts throughout the night.

In the village of Metohi, Eugenia expressed fear of what might happen overnight. “Every year we have to escape from our houses,” she said, having just checked on her cats. The fire brigade spokesman reported rescuing many trapped civilians who refused to leave their homes despite evacuation orders.

Giorgos Tsevas from Polydendri, a village near the fire front, lamented, “Everything is burning. I have 200 olive trees there, but now they are gone.”

Another fire in Megara, West Attica, triggered an evacuation alert but was partially contained after destroying at least three houses and cars. Forty-eight firefighters, 13 vehicles, and additional volunteers, along with aerial support, are working on the ground.

In Thessaloniki, a fire in the Lagadas area was partially under control, with 20 firefighters, 10 vehicles, and one helicopter at the scene.

Record Temperatures

Temperatures are expected to peak at 39°C (102°F) in Greece on Monday, with the highest temperatures in the west. Winds reached 80 to 90 kilometers per hour on Sunday, complicating firefighting efforts.

Greece is highly vulnerable to summer blazes, with this season witnessing daily fires. Following the warmest winter on record, Greece also experienced its hottest June and July since reliable data collection began in 1960 and its earliest recorded heatwave in June.

Scientists warn that human-induced fossil fuel emissions are worsening the length, frequency, and intensity of heatwaves worldwide. Rising temperatures are leading to longer wildfire seasons and increased areas burned, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.