ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A massive forest fire is raging out of control In the northern suburbs of Athens On Monday, swirling winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes, prompting the evacuation of many areas.
The massive, fast-moving fire sent flames up to 25 meters (80 feet) high as Greece called for help from other countries, activating Europe’s mutual civil protection mechanism.
The fire started on Sunday afternoon about 35 kilometers (22 miles) northeast of Athens, burning several homes and businesses and sending a blanket of smoke and ash over the city center. Power outages hit parts of the Greek capital and affected traffic lights at key central intersections.
Officials said 15 people were injured as the fire spread to the outskirts of the suburb, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center. Greece’s national observatory said late Monday that satellite images showed about 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) had been affected by the fire.
France will provide one helicopter, Italy two water-droppers, the Czech Republic 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles, officials said, while Serbia and Romania are also ready to help. The foreign ministry of neighboring Turkey said the country would send two firefighting planes and a helicopter, while Spain was also finalizing reinforcements to send to Greece.
The forest fire spread through the pine forest, which dried up Repeated heat waves this summer. The hottest months ever recorded in Greece are June and July. The early start of this year’s fire season has strained Greece’s fire brigade.
“Firefighters have been working at full tilt for months,” said Nikos Lavranos, head of Greece’s main firefighters union. “They’re exhausted.”
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kigilias said on Monday it was an “exceptionally dangerous fire and we have been fighting it for more than 20 hours in dramatic conditions”. Some areas burning on a hill northeast of Athens were very difficult to reach, he added.
Three hospitals, including a children’s hospital, two monasteries and a children’s home, were evacuated on Monday afternoon. At least 30 push alerts were received on cell phones in the area.
“The wind will go in one direction and then the other,” said Spyros Korilas, a resident of the Dioni area, who doused his house with water to save it from the fire. “The smoke was suffocating. You can’t see. Your eyes teared up. You can’t breathe.”
“You couldn’t even see the helicopter that had left the water,” he added. “You can only hear it.”
Evacuation orders were issued for the suburbs of Athens until Monday. Col. Vassilios Vatragogiannis, a spokesman for the fire department, said there were numerous volcanoes in areas where the flames had died down shortly before.
More than 700 firefighters, supported by 27 special forest fire teams, and armed forces personnel are fighting the blaze. More than 190 vehicles were deployed with air support of 17 water-dropping aircraft and 16 helicopters.
Three Athens hospitals were on high alert, while paramedics and ambulances treated two firefighters — one for minor burns and another for respiratory problems — and 13 civilians for respiratory problems, Vatrakogiannis said. The Medical Association of Athens has warned people with chronic illnesses, the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with respiratory and heart problems to be extra cautious.
Greece’s coast guard diverted all boats from the nearest port to another port serving several Aegean islands. Sports halls and hotels were converted into evacuation centers.
Police said 380 police officers assisted in the evacuation and helped remove more than 250 people from the path of the flames. It posted a video on social media showing officers escorting elderly people out of their homes to waiting vehicles against the backdrop of a flame-red night sky.
Some who refused to leave their homes later became trapped and had to be rescued, putting the lives of firefighters at risk, officials said. Officials said there were thousands of residents in the affected areas, but it was unclear how many were there during the peak summer holiday season.
Meteorologists have warned of an increase in bushfire risk due to the weather from Sunday to Thursday, with half of the country on red alert for bushfire risk.
Dozens of wildfires broke out in several parts of Greece on Monday.
Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country during hot, dry summers, but officials say climate change is fueling larger and more frequent blazes.
In 2018, A huge fire broke out in the coastal town of MattiEast of Athens, people were trapped 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 fire.
Last year more than 20 people were killed in wildfires in Greece 18 migrants caught in the fire They walked through a forest in northeastern Greece and stumbled upon a massive fire that had been burning for more than two weeks.
Wildfires on Monday hit neighboring North Macedonia and Albania, which have experienced high summer temperatures and strong winds.
___
Associated Press reporters Lefteris Pitarakis, Dioni, Greece; Derek Katopoulos in Athens, Greece; and Elise Morton in London contributed to this report.
