Major wildfire rages out of control on fringes of Greek capital; hundreds of firefighters deployed

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Hundreds of firefighters backed by more than 30 water-dropping planes were battling a major forest fire…

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Hundreds of firefighters backed by more than 30 water-dropping planes were battling a major forest fire raging out of control Monday on the northern fringes of the Greek capital. Hospitals and residential suburbs were evacuated.

Fanned by strong winds, the blaze that began Sunday afternoon was racing through pine forests left tinder-dry by repeated heat waves this summer, coming on the heels of a particularly dry winter. June and July of this year were the hottest months ever recorded in Greece, which also recorded its warmest winter ever.

By mid-morning, the fire was burning mainly on two separate fronts, with some parts in particularly difficult to reach areas on a mountain northeast of Athens, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said.

Authorities were faced with “an exceptionally dangerous fire, which we have been fighting for more than 20 hours under dramatic circumstances,” Kikilias said. Conditions were exacerbated by the very strong winds.

The fire department said 670 firefighters, backed by 27 teams specially trained to tackle wildfires and including more than 80 members of the armed forces, were battling the flames. More than 180 vehicles were deployed, while more than 30 water-dropping planes and helicopters were providing aerial support.

A children’s hospital, a military hospital, two monasteries and a children’s home were evacuated early Monday, while evacuation orders were issued for more than a dozen areas, including Marathon and several Athens suburbs. Three Athens hospitals were put on heightened alert to treat any potential injuries.

Local media reported two firefighters were slightly injured, while several civilians were treated in hospitals for smoke inhalation.

Authorities in nearby suburbs opened at least one sports hall and were providing rooms in hotels for evacuees, while yet more suburbs were put on standby for potential evacuation.

The police department said 380 police officers with 77 vehicles, 36 motorcycles, three buses and four vans were assisting in the evacuations, and by mid-morning had helped move more than 250 people away from the path of the flames. It posted a video on its social media channels showing police officers carrying elderly people in their arms out of houses and to waiting vehicles, against a backdrop of a night sky turned red from the flames and smoke.

The fire sent a blanket of smoke over the center of the Greek capital, darkening the sky. It began Sunday afternoon about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Athens and was fanned by strong winds that quickly drove it out of control. Authorities said flames at times towered more than 25 meters (80 feet) in height.

Meteorologists and government officials have warned of the heightened danger of wildfires because of weather conditions from Sunday until Thursday, with half of the country placed under a “red alert” for wildfire hazard.

The fire department appealed to residents to follow evacuation orders issued by civil protection, with authorities noting that some people who had refused to leave their homes later became trapped and required rescuing, endangering the lives of firefighters.

“During the night, the wind remained strong, creating dangerous situations,” said Col. Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, the fire department’s spokesman. “Unfortunately their intensity is expected to increase in the coming hours, and in any case citizens of the areas where the fire is developing must follow the directions of authorities.”

Wildfires are frequent in Greece during its hot, dry summers, but authorities have said climate change is fueling bigger and more frequent blazes. In 2018, a massive fire swept through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping people in their homes and on roads as they tried to flee in their cars. More than 100 people died, including some who drowned trying to swim away from the flames.

Last year, wildfires in Greece killed more than 20 people, including 18 migrants who became trapped by the flames as they trekked through a forest in northeastern Greece and were caught by a massive fire that burned for more than two weeks.