A major fire is affecting northern Athens and the Attica region: Greek authorities have called for the evacuation of the city of Marathonlocated about 40 kilometers from the Greek capital. Greek media reported. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned to Athens on Sunday afternoon, due to the situation that has developed with the fires in Attica.
Clouds of smoke have reached the Greek capital, a fire brigade spokesman told Greek Radio. “The flames are rising more than 25 meters,” he said, adding that 19 firefighting planes and around 500 firefighters are deployed in the region around the small village of Varnavas.
The Ministry of Civil Protection has sent a text message to residents of the affected region to leave their homes. The large fire is raging about 30 kilometers north of the capital. According to Greek media, some people have suffered smoke inhalation and have been taken to hospital.
Different Villages and localities in the area of Varnavas and Marathon have been evacuatedFootage broadcast on Greek television showed hundreds of residents being rescued. Just before sunset, 15 firefighting planes and 11 helicopters were still in action, according to firefighters. “It’s going to be a long night,” an officer told reporters at the scene.
Greek TV reported seeing dozens of houses on fire. In some cases, there were fights between residents and police. Many people refused to leave their homes despite the approaching flames and tried to save their belongings.
Meteorologists and the Civil Protection Ministry have repeatedly warned over the weekend that due to the extreme drought and strong winds around the Aegean, even the smallest fire could turn into a major blaze in a matter of minutes. The ministry has published a map showing that the highest level of fire risk is in the region around Athens and much of central Greece.
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