Major Wildfire North of Athens; Evac Notice Sent to Local Residents

A major wildfire erupted on Saturday afternoon in a mixed brushland-forestland area north of the greater Athens area, in the foothills beneath Mt. Parnitha, which has in the past been devastated by separate and catastrophic blazes, the most recent one in August 2021.

Civil defense authorities sent a notification via SMS to residents in the wider Athens-Piraeus area, with the epicenter lying between the settlements of Afidnes and Kryoneri at the Drosopygi site, north-northeast of downtown Athens. Residents the latter areas were advised to evacuate via specific routes cited in the emergency message.

The smoke, often dense, from the wildfire was visible in much of northern Athens and outlying districts.

An initial response totaled 102 fire-fighters operating 36 vehicles and aided by volunteers and with the support of water tankers sent by local municipalities. Five water-dropping aircraft were assisting.

Due to the wildfire’s proximity to Greece’s largest urban area, a bigger contingent of fire fighters was expected to be dispatched.

High Risk Weekend

Several wildfires were also ongoing on Saturday around the country, in central Evia Island, which lies along the eastern seaboard of mainland Greece, on the southwest Aegean Island of Kythira and in extreme southwest Greece, in Messinia prefecture. High temperatures and gusty winds were exacerbating efforts to extinguish the flames before nightfall.

Civil defense authorities have designated the ongoing weekend as a high risk for wildfires in roughly half of the mainland and on several islands, as temperatures will reach or exceed 40C, an ominous development when combined with arid soil conditions and gusty winds.