Strong winds turned a forest fire northeast of Athens into an imminent natural disaster on Tuesday evening. The thick clouds of smoke could be seen all over the Greek capital. According to local media, four villages near Mount Penteli, where the fire spread rapidly, have been evacuated. The roads in the area are closed.
A spokesman for the fire service spoke on national radio of a “predicament”. Fifteen firefighting planes and nine helicopters helped the hundreds of firefighters and volunteers fight the blaze, which has now stretched for miles on several fronts. When it got dark, the pilots had to ground their aircraft for safety reasons.
More firefighters from northern Greece are on their way to Athens to help with the work. Romania has also sent people, other countries are sending equipment.
In the summer of 2021, the Penteli region and many other areas in Greece were also heavily affected by fires.