Wildfire erupts near Athens amid heatwave

Greek firefighters on Thursday battled a fast-moving wildfire that burned holiday homes and forest land near the coastal town of Palaia Fokaia, 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Athens.

“Right now, strong land and air forces are fighting a huge battle against the flames, mainly among homes,” fire department spokesman Col. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.

He added that 12 water-dropping planes and 12 helicopters were providing air support to 80 fire engines and 130 firefighters, who were backed up by volunteer firefighters.

The cause of the blaze is still unknown, but authorities say that high temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and strong winds are fueling its rapid spread.  A fire department spokesman said an arson investigation unit had been sent to the area.

Residents have been told to evacuate

According to a report by Greek broadcaster ERTnews, several vacation homes have been destroyed, and a large area of scrubland and forest is currently ablaze.

The civil protection agency sent out emergency text alerts, telling residents to leave the affected coastal area near Palaia Fokaia.

Vathrakogiannis said that Greek police had moved 40 people to safety. Meanwhile, the coast guard reported that two patrol boats and nine private vessels were on standby in the area in case an evacuation by sea was necessary.

Authorities also reported that ambulances were on standby, though none had been needed by Thursday afternoon.

According to Greek radio, police rescued 11 tourists from a holiday home in the danger zone. The fire department stated that the hotel complexes were not in immediate danger.

The risk of wildfires remains a concern

Wildfires are common in Greece during its hot, dry summers. Authorities said the risk of wildfires would remain high Friday before the weather cooled down.

The civil protection agency warned that small fires can transform into major blazes in a matter of minutes due to extreme heat, dry conditions, and high winds.

Due to the weather conditions, the entire wider Athens area, as well as several Aegean islands, were on Level 4 of a 5-level scale for wildfire danger.

Earlier this week, it took hundreds of firefighters four days to bring a major wildfire under control on the eastern Aegean island of Chios.