Massive Wildfire Front North of Athens; Evacuations Continue

Amajor and out-of-control wildfire front extending several kilometers along mountainous terrain is threatening several north Athens districts in the Mt. Penteli vicinity before dawn on Monday, with authorities issuing directions – via cell phone SMS – for evacuations.

The wildfire front was burning forestland, shrubs and other mixed greenspace areas along a front extending from Mt. Dionysos to Mt. Penteli, with the latter overlooking the greater Athens area from the north.

Currently, there are three main fronts: in the town of Grammatiko in the Marathon municipality, Mt. Penteli, and the east Attica town of Nea Makri. Currently, the front in Grammatiko is actively threatening houses, flaming at a distance of 500 meters.

The gale-force winds render the fire extremely dangerous and unpredictable, changing direction by the minute.

The intense smoke, which has reached as far as the southwestern Peloponnese, makes it very difficult for aircrafts to perform targeted water drops, while the terrain is .

Evacuations have been ordered both in surrounding residential areas as well as of the Holy Monastery of Penteli and the St. Ephraim Monastery.

According to the latest reports, several residences have been destroyed in the municipality of Dionysos, which is located along the slopes of the same-day mountain, as well as to the northeast, in the wider Marathon municipality.

Τhe conflagration in northeast Attica prefecture (greater Athens area) erupted instantaneously amid gusty winds near the township of Varnavas (extreme northeast Attica prefecture), before spreading south on the back of strong winds. Unconfirmed reports had other fires springing up throughout the night in rapid succession around both peaks: Dionysos and Penteli, both areas repeatedly burned in the past by similar blazes.

A children’s hospital and a military hospital were also ordered to evacuate their patients and staff.

A massive contingent of fire-fighters has been deployed to battle the fires, which now include municipal crews and volunteers, possibly bringing the number to more than 1,000.

Since daybreak, at least 32 aerial vehicles have been performing water drops along the massive front.

No lives have been lost, but civilians have been transported to the hospital with respiratory issues as well as a fire fighter who suffered second degree burns. Roughly half of Greece has been plagued with summer wildfires for the past decades, with the now almost annual scourge resulting in loss of life and devastating damage to the environment.

Source: tovima.com