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Greek firefighters battle ‘dangerous’ wildfires over weekend

A combination of hot, dry conditions and strong winds are fuelling the spread of the blazes in Greece.

Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
A firefighter struggles to extinguish a forest fire in the Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece. [Yorgos Karahalis/AP Photo]
Published On 1 Jul 2024

On Sunday evening, firefighters were battling wildfires near the Greek capital Athens as the country braces for a challenging wildfire season and soaring summer temperatures following its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record.

“Today in Attica two extremely dangerous fires that broke out in residential areas and spread rapidly due to strong winds in Keratea and Stamata were tackled,” said Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias late on Sunday.

Authorities called for the evacuation of at least eight areas around Athens as wildfires destroyed houses and cars.

“Today is the hardest that the Fire Brigade has faced in this year’s firefighting season,” said fire department spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis during an emergency press briefing on Sunday.

Near the town of Keratea, south of Athens, and to the north, in the community of Stamata, wind speeds exceeding 60kmph (37mph) fanned the blazes.

“The situation is very difficult as strong winds continue to blow. They have not subsided and the outbreaks are many,” Dimitris Loukas, mayor of Lavreotiki, told Athens News Agency.

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A fire also broke out on Sunday in a recycling factory in Ritsona, near the island of Evia, filling the sky with black smoke as tyres and mattresses in the grounds around it burned. Firefighters fought to contain the spread of the blaze to other factories in the industrial zone.

In his weekly Facebook post, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis asked Greeks to prepare for a tough wildfire season.

“The difficult times are still ahead of us,” he said. “Our effort is continuous. In this effort, our allies are new tools that build a new culture of prevention and responsibility.”

Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
A burned car is seen outside a house after a wildfire in the Keratea area. [Yorgos Karahalis/AP Photo]
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Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
A volunteer stands on a roof as flames rise from a wildfire burning in Stamata, near Athens. [Giorgos Moutafis/Reuters]
Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
A destroyed house amid a burned area after a wildfire tore through in the Keratea area. [Yorgos Karahalis/AP Photo]
Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
Firefighters arrive to extinguish a wildfire burning in Stamata. [Elias Marcou/Reuters]
Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
A new forest fire broke out in the Keratea region, some 20km (12 miles) south of the Greek capital, on June 30. The previous day, a major fire in the same area was brought under control. [Aris Messinis/AFP]
Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
Flames rise next to a house as a wildfire burns in Keratea. [Elias Marcou/Reuters]
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Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
Two large wildfires were burning on Sunday near Athens. Authorities sent emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay home and close their windows to protect themselves from smoke. [Yorgos Karahalis/AP Photo]
Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
A firefighting helicopter flies over a firefighter and volunteers trying to extinguish a wildfire burning in Keratea. [Elias Marcou/Reuters]
Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening
Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country, but they have become more devastating in recent years as summers have become hotter, drier and windier, conditions scientists link to the effects of climate change. [Aris Messinis/AFP]