ATHENS — Exhausted firefighting crews are battling erratic winds and bone-dry terrain as a fast-moving wildfire tears through forests near the Greek capital. The blaze, which ignited late Monday, has already claimed two lives and forced hundreds to evacuate their homes under emergency orders.
The fire broke out in the Varnavas region, roughly 35 kilometers north of Athens. Gusts reaching 80 kilometers per hour have sent embers flying over firebreaks, creating new ignition points that have left ground crews scrambling. By Tuesday morning, the smoke cloud was visible from the Acropolis, a stark visual reminder of the fire’s proximity to the city center.
Two people were found dead inside a burned-out factory in the Vrilissia suburb, according to police reports. Their identities remain unconfirmed as forensic teams sweep the scorched structure.
“We are fighting a war against the wind,” said a senior official from the Hellenic Fire Service. “Every time we gain a foothold, the fire jumps a ridge or crosses a road. It’s relentless.”
More than 700 firefighters, backed by 190 vehicles and a fleet of water-dropping aircraft, are currently deployed across the Attica region. They face a landscape parched by a record-breaking heatwave and minimal winter rainfall, conditions that have turned the pine-covered hills into a tinderbox.
The government has activated the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting additional aircraft and personnel from neighboring countries. France, Italy, and the Czech Republic have already pledged support, with specialized firefighting planes expected to arrive by midday Wednesday.
For residents in the path of the flames, the reality is immediate. Thousands have abandoned their belongings, fleeing toward the coast as evacuation orders pinged on their mobile phones throughout the night. Local hospitals have treated dozens for smoke inhalation, though authorities say the primary challenge remains the unpredictability of the fire’s path.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cut short his summer holiday to return to Athens, chairing an emergency cabinet meeting at the national coordination center. He faces mounting pressure to explain how a fire that started in a relatively isolated area managed to breach the perimeter of the sprawling metropolitan area.
With temperatures expected to stay above 38°C for the next 48 hours, the firefighting effort is shifting from containment to a desperate defense of residential zones. The wind holds the final say on whether the capital’s northern suburbs are spared further destruction.
