Greek firefighters are unable to stop the spread of a fire that started on Sunday afternoon in the town of Varnava in the capital region of Attica, and the evacuation of residents of seven settlements was announced early Monday morning, Greek fire service spokesman Vasilios Vatrakoyannis said at an extraordinary briefing on Monday morning.
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The fire in Varnava started at about 15.00 and spread quickly due to strong winds – its speed reached 90 kilometers per hour. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis interrupted his vacation and returned to Athens on Sunday evening due to the critical situation related to the fires.
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“All the civil protection forces fought a hard battle throughout the night, but despite superhuman efforts, the fire is growing rapidly and is currently moving towards the municipality of Penteli, as it has passed to Mount Penteli,” Vatrakoyiannis said.
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Mount Penteli (Penteliko) is the second highest in Attica, its height exceeds 1100 meters.
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According to the press secretary of the fire service, at 05.10 am a message was issued about the evacuation of residents from the settlements of Nea Penteli to Melissia and from Palea Penteli to Vrilissia, then about the evacuation of residents from the settlements of Drafi, Dioni and Damarasi towards Marathon Avenue, and at 05.40 – on the evacuation of residents of the settlements of Dau Penteli and Agios Spyridonas to Rafina. Residents of the Antus area were informed of the need to be prepared to evacuate.
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“Penteli Children’s Hospital and Military Hospital 414 are also currently evacuated,” Vatrakoyiannis said.
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He added that there are 510 firefighters on the scene with 16 foot teams and 152 pieces of equipment, as well as a large number of volunteers, with assistance from all relevant departments.
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At first light, 29 aircraft were deployed to extinguish the fire.
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“Strong winds persisted overnight, creating dangerous situations. Unfortunately, wind intensity is expected to increase in the coming hours,” a fire service spokesman said.
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The night before, he reported that aircraft made the first water release five minutes after the fire started, and the first ground forces were sent 10 minutes later, but strong winds quickly spread the fire, creating an extreme situation with continuous outbreaks and new fronts.
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According to television reports, the height of the fire reached 50 meters.
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Greece experiences hot, dry weather with temperatures around 34 degrees Celsius and strong winds. In the emergency area, according to meteorologists, winds of up to eight points on the Beaufort scale are expected.
