 "A man stands next to his car as a wildfire burns at the industrial zone of the city of Volos in central Greece, July 26. File Photo- Reuters")
A wildfire ignited in a forest area north of Athens Saturday afternoon with high winds making firefighters’ tasks harder as much of the nation remains on high fire alert.
At least forty wildfires have erupted since dawn across the country with wind speeds exceeding 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour, AFP quoted fire brigade sources as saying.
Talking to the media, Fire Department spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis said on Saturday that the conditions that prevail are difficult and dangerous.
Wildfires are common in Greece but they have become more devastating in recent years amid hotter and drier summers that scientists link to climate change. A wildfire near Athens last week forced dozens to flee their homes, which authorities said they believed was the result of arson as well as the hot, dry conditions.
Accustomed to scorching summers, Greece faces a tough wildfire season after its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures hitting 44°C (111°F).
Strong winds and numerous high-voltage pylons in the area of Mount Parnitha – known as “the lungs of Athens” – are impeding the use of firefighting aircraft.
Reinforcements from the regions of Thessaly, Epirus, and Central Macedonia, as well as volunteer firefighters, are helping to tackle the forest fires.
The winds have carried smoke into the centre of Athens while a message was sent to people in nearby areas via the emergency number 112 to be on standby due to the fire.
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More Shorts“There is no longer an active front at the fire that started in Katsimidi, Parnitha but the fight is not yet over even though the situation has improved,” Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said in a statement Saturday evening.
The Fire Danger Forecast Map issued for Sunday by the Civil Protection Ministry predicts a very high risk of fire (category 4) for Attica, the Peloponnese, Crete, the North and South Aegean Regions, and Central Greece.
Another fire started about 20 kilometres northwest of Athens in the area of Lakka Katsari on Saturday afternoon, while authorities successfully controlled a fire in the southeastern town of Keratea, which had led to the evacuation of two villages.
Last year, a fierce two-week heatwave was followed by devastating wildfires in which 20 people died.
The flames consumed nearly 175,000 hectares (432,000 acres) of forest and farmland, according to the National Observatory of Athens.
With inputs from AFP.