Fast-moving wildfires swept through hills outside the Greek capital in scorching temperatures on Tuesday, prompting authorities to close highways as a precautionary measure to protect an oil refinery. In an effort to control the fires before nightfall, water-dropping airplanes and helicopters flew low amidst a smoky orange-tinted sunset. The European Union has pledged additional assistance, while forecasters are predicting a continuation of extreme heat.
Greece has requested help from Italy and France, who will each send two firefighting planes to aid in the firefighting efforts. These planes and their teams are part of the EU civil protection mechanism, and they will join Romanian firefighters who are already stationed in Greece as part of a seasonal EU fire program. Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesman for the Fire Service, described the main fire near Athens as a rapidly escalating crisis, with the Fire Service having to intervene to evacuate residents from their homes.
In addition to the wildfires near Athens, other fires are burning out of control to the north and west of the capital, including a blaze near the resort town of Loutraki, where more homes have been damaged and evacuations expanded. In the town of Mandra, police helped residents evacuate as the flames approached, including nuns from a nearby Orthodox Christian monastery.
To better combat the fires, officials have closed sections of highways that connect Athens to the city of Corinth, allowing firefighters easier access to the fires and preventing the flames from reaching a major oil refinery. Greece has also activated a rapid mapping evaluation system that utilizes satellite data from the European Union to assess the extent of fire damage.
The situation is severe, with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cutting short a visit to Brussels to return to Athens and meet with the heads of the Fire Service and Civil Protection Agency. Meanwhile, smaller fires have also erupted closer to the capital due to previous extreme temperatures.
Looking ahead, another heatwave is expected later in the week, with temperatures forecasted to reach as high as 44°C (111°F) in central and southern parts of the country. The seriousness of the situation continues to unfold, with reporter Elena Becatoros providing updates from Athens.
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