Greek Firefighters Battle Wildfires Near Athens Amid Strong Winds

Greek firefighters are battling two significant wildfires near Athens, fueled by strong winds, just hours after containing blazes in other areas close to the capital and on an Aegean island.

In the town of Keratea, approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Athens, dozens of firefighters in full gear, supported by 23 water-carrying aircraft, fought to control a fire in a sparsely populated area. The blaze, fueled by burning pine and olive trees, forced evacuations as flames engulfed houses.

Meanwhile, another fire in the community of Stamata, north of Athens, burned through a lush pine forest, sending columns of smoke over parts of the city. As of now, this fire does not threaten residential areas.

With hot, windy conditions prevailing across much of Greece, dozens of wildfires erupted over the weekend, prompting authorities to advise people to avoid forested areas. Firefighters continue to engage on the island of Serifos, where a wildfire that began on Saturday amid low vegetation spread quickly due to strong winds. This blaze damaged houses and led to the evacuation of several hamlets. According to Serifos’ mayor, Kostas Revinthis, the wildfire at one point spanned 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and caused significant damage to holiday homes and storehouses.

In addition, a fire in the mountainous forest of Parnitha, near a nature reserve just outside Athens, had subsided by Sunday morning, officials reported.

Wildfires are common in Greece but have become increasingly devastating in recent years due to hotter, drier, and windier summers, which scientists attribute to climate change. In response to last summer’s deadly forest fires and following its warmest winter on record, Greece has adopted a new strategy. This includes deploying an extra fire engine to each new blaze, accelerating air support, and clearing forests to mitigate the effects of wildfires.

Melissa Enoch

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