Greece on Saturday afternoon requested assistance from the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism in the form of six water-dropping aircraft, as five to six major wildfire fronts were simultaneously raging around various parts of the east Mediterranean country.

According to Mega Channel, the EU mechanism’s administration has approved of the request.

The most visible blaze was due north of the greater Athens area, near the village of Kryoneri, at the foothills of Mt. Parnitha, which erupted early Saturday afternoon.

At the same time, sizeable wildfires were raging on the southwest Aegean island of Kythira, in extreme southwest Messinia prefecture (southern Peloponnese) at the Polythea site, in the central part of large Evia Island – visible from across the mainland from south-central Greece – and at the Temenia site in Chania prefecture on Crete. Later in the early evening, another wildfire was reported in the Molaous district of extreme southeastern Laconia prefecture.

A view of NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System, showing where blazes were raging in parts of southern Greece.

The blaze north of the greater Athens area appeared as the most ominous just before dusk. A fire-fighting force of 145 fire-fighters operating 44 vehicles, a large contingent of volunteers and municipal workers supplying water tankers from around the wider region were at the scene.

No less than 17 water-dropping aircraft operated until nearly nightfall.

The specific region, between the west side of the main Athens-Lamia highway and Mt. Parnitha, has in the past been devastated by wildfires, the most recent being in August 2021.