Greece’s worst wildfire of the year has claimed its first fatality as flames continued to burn outside Athens on Tuesday. The situation has improved somewhat in recent hours, with lighter winds and the efforts of firefighters helping to reduce the fire’s intensity, authorities said. Greece has activated the EU Civil Protection Service and is expecting help from France, Italy and the Czech Republic with aircraft and firefighters. Spain and Turkey have also offered assistance.
The body of the victim was found inside a factory engulfed by flames, located in the urban area of Vrilisia, in the north of the capital. She is a woman of about 60 years old, who worked in a flower shop, according to local press. Firefighters have also reported that several people have been injured while trying to put out the flames. One of them had to be hospitalized for “serious burns to the feet and hands.” Another thirty people have been treated for smoke inhalation.
“40 hours after the extremely dangerous forest fire in Varnava broke out, we can now say that there is no active front, only scattered outbreaks,” said the Greek Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias. “Volunteers, police, army, forest service and forest workers, the authority of the Attica region and municipalities, with the help of the 112 emergency service, evacuated and saved 45 areas,” he added. The winds are expected to pick up again in the coming hours, so the country will remain on high alert at least until Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees.
Hundreds of firefighters, supported by trucks and water tankers, continued to battle the flames that broke out on Sunday in the town of Varnava, north of Athens, on Tuesday. The fire has spread to within just 14 kilometres of the city centre, which has been covered in smoke and ash since the weekend. The blaze has burned homes, vehicles and more than 10,000 hectares, according to the local newspaper. Proto ThemeThe damage covers 100 square kilometres, affecting more than 100 homes. In addition, some 50,000 people have had to be evacuated, many of whom had to spend the night in shelters.
Faced with this situation, the Greek government activated the civil protection mechanism on Monday, and countries such as Italy, France and the Czech Republic announced that they would send firefighters to tackle the fire. “We are on the side of Greece in its fight against the devastating fires. The EU is sending support from its fleet: two planes from Italy and a helicopter from France. Firefighting teams from the Czech Republic and Romania have also been deployed,” said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on her social networks.
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Although fires on the outskirts of Athens are common during the summer, this is the first time that a fire has reached so close to the centre of the capital and affected the urban fabric of the city. While the current temperatures are typical for this time of year, the two extreme heat waves that hit the country in June and July – with temperatures exceeding 44 degrees in some regions – dried out vegetation and increased the risk of a large fire.
Last year, Greece also suffered a harsh summer during which dozens of fires burned a record 160,000 hectares (1.21% of its territory), while 28 people lost their lives in the flames.
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