The fight against the flames near Athens continues: The large fire that has been raging north of Athens for hours has not yet been stopped. In the morning, more towns had to be evacuated.
Athens – The Greek fire service has been unable to stop the large fire that has been raging on the northern outskirts of Athens since Sunday afternoon. The residents of twelve towns were asked by text message to leave their homes in the region around Marathon and Penteli, a fire service spokesman told Greek radio. “At daybreak we will deploy 29 firefighting planes and helicopters,” he said. Penteli is around 15 kilometers north of the Greek capital, and Marathon around 30 kilometers north. According to Greek media, numerous people were taken to hospitals with respiratory problems, according to the emergency services. Two hospitals also had to be evacuated, the government announced.
Thick clouds of smoke over Athens
Due to the heavy smoke, a thick, grey-brown cloud hung over Athens for hours. The plumes of smoke stretched for more than 100 kilometres and reached the Peloponnese peninsula, as local residents reported and as seen on satellite images.
![Major fire north of Athens](https://www.merkur.de/assets/images/35/323/35323332-grossbrand-noerdlich-von-athen-NYBG.jpg)
According to the civil protection agency, the fire danger level is at its highest in the region around Athens and in large parts of central Greece. The situation will remain extremely dangerous in the coming days, the civil protection agency said. In most regions of Greece, it has not rained properly for months.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis interrupts holiday
According to authorities, the government opened the facilities of the Olympic Stadium in northern Athens and other sports halls for people fleeing the flames. Hotels also made rooms available, the hoteliers’ association reported. Tourist facilities have not been threatened so far, reporters on site reported unanimously. Many residents reportedly stayed in their houses and fought the flames with garden hoses.
Due to the dramatic developments, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis interrupted his vacation and returned to Athens, a government spokesman said. According to media reports, numerous fire brigade units from southern and western Greece arrived in Athens during the night.
Drought and winds can cause major fires
Meteorologists and civil protection have warned repeatedly in recent days: Due to the extreme dryness and strong winds currently blowing around the Aegean, any small fire could spread into a major fire within minutes. dpa
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