Civil protection authorities have ordered at least five more communities to evacuate as Wildfires rage in Greece, following the evacuation of hundreds from eight villages on Sunday.
Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis reported that despite intense overnight efforts, the fire has spread rapidly, reaching Mount Pentelicus and advancing toward Penteli. Two hospitals in Penteli, including a children’s hospital and a military facility, were evacuated early in the morning.
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The fire brigade has deployed 510 firefighters with 152 vehicles and plans to use 29 aircraft at dawn. SMS alerts have been sent to residents in the Attica region advising them to follow evacuation instructions.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned to Athens early to address the crisis. By Sunday afternoon, firefighters had managed to control 33 of the 40 fires that had erupted in the past 24 hours, but were still battling seven more in the intense summer heat.
Residents of Marathon, 40 kilometers east of Athens, were among those evacuated. Giorgos Tsevas from Polydendri village reported losing his 200 olive trees to the flames.
Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias had already warned of high fire risk due to extreme temperatures, strong winds, and drought. Vathrakogiannis noted that strong winds created dangerous conditions, expected to worsen in the coming hours.
Greece, particularly vulnerable to summer wildfires, has seen a severe fire season following the warmest winter on record and the hottest June and July since 1960. Scientists attribute the worsening wildfire conditions to human-induced climate change and increased fossil fuel emissions, leading to longer and more intense fire seasons.
