Wildfire rages for second day near Athens
Firefighters have resumed efforts to contain a wildfire that broke out in the mountainous region of Penteli near Athens on Tuesday.
The Fire Department said 485 firefighters with 28 ground teams and several volunteers, assisted by 120 fire engines, three water-dropping planes and five helicopters are battling numerous blazes in Pallini, Anthousa, Penteli, Drafi and some areas of Gerakas. A total of 28 firefighters from Romania have joined the effort.
The Fire Department on Wednesday released a map showing the areas affected by the flames.
The blazes are fueled by strong winds, which make it increasingly difficult to get them under control. They are forecast to persist until Wednesday afternoon.
Images released by the National Observatory of Athens at 7.40 a.m. on Wednesday showed the smoke plume extending more than 400 kilometers.
“It was a difficult night,” Fire Department spokesperson Yiannis Artopios said in a televised statement, adding that the wind speed exceeded 80 kilometres (50 miles) per hour.
“Due to the intensity and speed of the winds, the fire constantly changed direction throughout the night, which made fighting it, in the middle of the night, even more difficult,” he said.
No injures have been reported, but at least 10 houses have been burned in Drafi and three in Penteli, according to local officials.
Reports on Wednesday said an 84-year-old man took his own life after seeing his house go up in flames in Anthousa. Officers reportedly found a gun next to his body.
More than 600 residents have been evacuated. One hospital and the National Observatory of Athens were evacuated as a precaution on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the National Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management at 5.30 a.m. on Wednesday, while Health Minister Thanos Plevris was at the headquarters of the National Center for Emergency Care (EKAV).
#Πυρκαγια στην #Πεντελη: Η «Κ» στο πύρινο μέτωπο – Στις φλόγες σπίτι στο Ντράφι https://t.co/1JvtjtlcOX pic.twitter.com/il0h2CaSmV
— Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (@Kathimerini_gr) July 20, 2022
#Πυρκαγια στην #Πεντελη: Η «Κ» στο πύρινο μέτωπο – Μάχη με τις αναζωπυρώσεις στην Ανθούσα, όπου έχουν καεί σπίτια #φωτια https://t.co/1JvtjtlcOX pic.twitter.com/ySgyzSydBb
— Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (@Kathimerini_gr) July 20, 2022
