A wildfire erupted early Tuesday afternoon near the town of Marathon, northeast of Athens, prompting a large-scale emergency response from Greek authorities. The fire broke out shortly before 2:00 p.m. in the Rizari area and is currently burning through low vegetation, pine trees, and reed beds in close proximity to homes and businesses.

The Greek Fire Service responded swiftly, deploying 18 fire trucks from nearby towns including Nea Makri and Neos Voutzas, along with 56 firefighters, two ground teams from the 1st Special Unit for Disaster Response (EMODE), volunteers, and three firefighting helicopters.

Authorities activated the national emergency alert system (112), urging residents in the affected area to evacuate toward safer locations in Nea Makri and Marathon.

The fire remains active, and emergency crews are continuing their efforts to bring the blaze under control.