Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens

Greece is battling five major wildfires across the country, with officials evacuating residents in a hard-hit region just 30km (18.6 miles) north of capital city Athens.

The smell of burning wood carried as far as central Athens, as Greece requested European Union assistance to fight the spreading blaze.

The ongoing emergency comes amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C (111.2F) on Sunday, with the extreme heat expected to persist through most of the weekend.

“We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed,” Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said.

High winds and scorching temperatures have fanned the flames. Greece has formally requested assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for six additional firefighting aircraft.

In Attica, the region where Athens is, a fire that started in Afidnes on Saturday spread rapidly through Drosopigi, Kryoneri and Agios Stefanos, forcing residents to flee.

While the fire service says the main front has been contained, scattered hotspots continue to burn. More than 200 firefighters, supported by helicopters and water-bombing aircraft, are still operating in the area.

On the island of Evia, officials said a second blaze near Pissona had got “out of control”, moving quickly towards Afrati.

Several villages, including Pournos and Mistros, have been left without electricity after flames destroyed pylons and power lines.

Six firefighters have so far been taken to hospital with burns and smoke inhalation as 115 personnel continue to battle the flames.

“The destruction is incalculable,” said Dirfyon-Messapion mayor Giorgos Psathas.

In Kythira, a third wildfire is engulfing a large part of the island, with residents describing scenes of “total destruction”. Several settlements have been evacuated, and the coastguard, assisted by private boats, rescued 139 people from Limnionas beach, transporting them safely to Kapsali port.

In Messinia, a fourth wildfire broke out in the Polithea area of Trifylia on Saturday morning and intensified later in the day.

Five emergency alerts have been sent via Greece’s 112 system urging people to leave multiple villages. Strong winds are making firefighting efforts difficult, with 84 firefighters, 30 vehicles and seven aircraft tackling the blaze.

Meanwhile, in Crete’s Chania region, a fifth wildfire is raging in Temenia. The fire started in two separate spots and quickly spread, destroying at least two homes.

Officials said several regions remained under further fire threats, including the Ionian Islands, Western Greece, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, Attica, Epirus, Western Macedonia (Florina, Kastoria, Kozani), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Evros), Thessaly (Magnesia, Larisa, Trikala), the South Aegean (Rhodes) and Crete.

Last month, fires on Greece’s fifth-biggest island Chios, in the northern Aegean, destroyed 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of land.

Earlier in July, a wildfire on the island of Crete forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists.