- Wildfires dangerously near Athens, causing devastation
- First fire victim, widespread damage reported
- Residents and officials grapple with ongoing risks
Greece has already seen summer wildfires, but the flames crept frighteningly near the capital this time.
At one point, there were fears of a line of fires fueled by strong winds and temperatures running for kilometres towards Athens.
The flames have devastated buildings and businesses in Vrilissia, a city in the northeastern suburbs about 14 kilometres (eight miles) from the city centre.
The body of a 63-year-old lady was discovered in a burned-out business in adjacent Patima Halandriou, becoming the first confirmed victim of the fire, which has destroyed 100,000 acres of land and injured hundreds more.
According to colleagues, she was too terrified to jump from the building as the flames approached, and she became stuck inside.
Nea Penteli, Vrilissia, and Patima Halandriou are among the most severely impacted suburbs.
On Tuesday, even homeowners in regions of Athens that avoided the fire reported finding ash on their balconies.
The massive smoke cloud that lingered above Athens for hours has dissipated, albeit the sky remains hazy.
Firefighters said they are fatigued after spending days trying to keep the flames from spreading further into the capital.
Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, lauded the “superhuman effort” of 700 firemen and forest commando teams who have been fighting the fire in northeastern Attica for 40 hours since Sunday afternoon.
He said we faced a level-five fire risk with winds of 7-8 Beaufort [gale force], a prolonged drought, and a mountainous environment characterized by mountains, forests, and scattered homes.
Marina recalled how she was forced to abandon her neighbourhood in Nea Penteli for a nearby town, only to be evacuated again when the flames spread there.
As we were leaving through the fire and the smoke and the rubble there were people begging us to take them with us,” Marina told me.
“But we were totally full, so we had to reject and witness the misery on their faces. I called the police to let them know there were people there who needed to be picked up.”
Thanassis Kevezes, a marble and stone merchant, was forced to abandon his business in Vrilissia on Monday as smoke and flames spread.
Returning to his yard the following day, he estimated the fire cost €30,000 (£25,000).
He noted that A significant issue was the very combustible pine trees that dominated this area and much of Greece: “We love them as Greeks, but I despise them now.”
Residents and business owners in the suburbs of Vrilissia and Nea Penteli, Varnavas, and Marathon are counting the cost.
A pine forest near Varnavas burned down, destroying thousands of acres of cropland. Burning pine cones sent fizzing into the air, making combating the fires much more difficult.
Sotiris Evangelopoulos arrived to inspect the damage at his father-in-law’s home in Athens’ far north-east suburbs.
Fortunately, the property remained undamaged, except for some front yard damage.
Over his lifetime, he has witnessed rising summer temperatures and longer seasons while winters have become warmer and shorter.
Mr Evangelopoulos criticizes officials for allowing the capital to spread further into the pine forests surrounding Athens, making residents more vulnerable to flames.
Kostas Lagouvardos, Research Director at the National Observatory of Athens, agrees that the issue has become more problematic.
It’s tough to find a solution because you have an expansion of the city towards an area with trees and forests.”On the other hand, climate conditions vary from year to year. We’ve had three sweltering and dry summers, with big flames in Athens and throughout Greece.”
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For now, firefighters focus on dispersed hotspots rather than a big firefront.
On Tuesday, a new evacuation order was issued for a portion of the seaside village of Nea Makri while flames reached residences in the adjoining town of Erythros. The powerful winds of Sunday and Monday were less severe on Tuesday morning, but forecasters warned they would pick up again in the afternoon.
Mr Lagouvardos believes policymakers and engineers must collaborate with national and local governments to find a solution. However, he is pessimistic about the future, not only because of the increasing risk of forest fires.
You have ramifications for both agriculture and health. This summer, Athens will have extremely hot weather for an extended period of time. You have several regions in the center with high temperatures even at night, which is a major issue for human health.
