The forest fire that broke out on Sunday at Varnavas, northeast of Athens has expanded rapidly overnight southwards nearer the Greek capital.
On Monday morning the flames reached the mountain of Penteli. Residents have been advised to evacuate. A second front has reached the outskirts of Nea Makri to the east.
The Fire Service said that messages had been sent for the evacuation of Nea Penteli, Palia Penteli, Drafi, Dioni, Damarasi, Daou Pentelis and Agios Spyridonas, while residents of Anthousa were warned to prepare for a possible evacuation at 05:45. Authorities have also evacuated the Penteli Children’s Hospital and the 414 Military Hospital in the area.
Spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis said that winds remained strong during the night, creating dangerous situations, and that their intensity was expected to increase in the next few hours, adding that citizens in the areas where the fire is burning must be prepared to carry out the instructions of the authorities.
Second fire front near Nea Makri, east of Athens
A new 112 message was sent just before 06:30 for the evacuation of the Anatoli settlement, with residents told to head toward Nea Makri, while helicopters were already operating above Anatoli.
Television footage shows flames approaching houses while helicopters are trying to douse the fire. Two monasteries in the area have been evacuated.
The fire started in Varnavas, Attica at 15:00 on Sunday and moved rapidly aided by strong winds that hampered the work of the dozens of fire-fighting aircraft participating in the operation.
Greek media report that many houses have been burnt, however, there is no official statement from the Greek authorities yet. There have been reports of injuries caused mainly by inhaling smoke.
Police issued a statement calling on citizens to avoid any movement towards the areas affected by fires and to follow, for their own safety, the instructions issued for the evacuation of areas.
“The Greek Police strongly appeals to all citizens to avoid any movement towards the areas affected by fires, as this way the work of the Traffic and Fire Brigades is made more difficult,” the announcement says.
Greece on high alert for forest fires
Greece has been on high alert for forest fires since Saturday.
This was announced after Greek Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias and all other relevant agencies and authorities held an emergency meeting.
The country will remain on high alert for most of the upcoming week or at least until Thursday, August 15th, the Dormition of the Theotokos bank holiday.
A class five (extreme) level of fire danger is forecast in three regions of Greece on Monday, including Attica, according to the Fire Danger Forecast Map issued by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection of the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry for Monday, August 12.
In addition to Attica, a class five fire danger is forecast in Viotia and Evia in the Central Greece Region and in Argolida, Corinth and Lakonia in the Peloponnese Region.
Very high (class 4) fire danger is also forecast in Evros, in the Eastern Macedonia-Thrace Region, the Sporades islands in the Thessaly Region, in Fokida, Viotia, Fthiotida, Evia and Skyros in the Central Greece Region, in Achaia and Ilia in the Peloponnese Region, in the Western Greece Region, the Cyclades islands in the Southern Aegean Region and the Crete Region.
This is a developing story
