Wildfires in Greece approach Athens, force evacuations

Wildfires continued to devastate Greece, endangering suburbs in the northern reaches of the capital, Athens, according to local media reports on Tuesday.

A fire that ignited around noon in the town of Fyli, situated 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the heart of Athens, raged uncontrolled and rapidly expanded in multiple directions. This led to the evacuation of numerous settlements in the vicinity, as reported by the state broadcaster ERT.

The fire's primary front is advancing toward Mount Parnitha, which houses a Greek Air Force radar base.

In the town of Aspropyrgos, located 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of central Athens and hosting a significant industrial zone, the blaze wreaked havoc by either destroying or severely damaging numerous factories.

This fire also necessitated evacuations from at least three nearby settlements and led to the suspension of train services in certain areas.

Meanwhile, in the northeastern port city of Alexandroupolis, fire continued to rage for a fourth consecutive day. The situation led to the evacuation of multiple settlements and a hospital, with contingency plans in place for evacuating the city itself if required.

Yiannis Artophios, spokesperson for the National Fire Service, stated that a total of 93 wildfires had been reported within the last 24 hours. Most of these were promptly contained at their initial stages.

Furthermore, Artophios indicated that additional assistance from the European Union under its Civil Protection Mechanism was expected to arrive in the country soon. This assistance would encompass firefighting aircraft, fire engines, and personnel.

In a parallel development, the meteorology division of the National Observatory of Athens announced that a substantial 161,874 hectares (approximately 400,000 acres) of forested areas across the country had been consumed by flames between August 19 and August 21.