A massive wildfire is spreading to the edge of the Greek capital Athens forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
The residents wore masks against choking smoke as the air in Athens smells of burning. The country’s emergency services said that houses caught fire in Varnavas, around 20 miles north-east of the Greek capital.
The wildfire has been intensified by gale-force winds which are bringing the fire closer to the capital. Television footage showed cars in suburbs of Nea Penteli and Vrilissia gutted by fire and roofs of houses burning.
Taking off from Athens while wildfire raging. pic.twitter.com/0YDoWqSeGf
— AthensLive (@AthensLiveGr) August 12, 2024
Residents complained that the air was hard to breathe and in some areas, the air is suffocating. Several images on social media showed black smoke surrounding houses and neighbourhoods around Athens.
The massive wildfires in Greece have prompted the government to seek international help even as European countries including Italy, France, Romania and Czech Republic have came forward to help.
Around 700 firefighters with 190 fire engines and over 30 aircraft are struggling to douse the fire, but the wildfire has scaled Mount Pentelicon, which looms over Athens.
Wildfires continue to burn uncontrollably throughout the night just north of the #Greek capital. #athens #Βαρνάβα #μαραθωνας #φωτια #πυρκαγια #Διόνυσος #wildfires @CGTNEurope @CGTNEuropebreak pic.twitter.com/DsnQkj6PD6
— Evangelo Sipsas (@EvangeloSipsas) August 11, 2024
The fire services said that the blaze showed no sign of subsiding, with 40 flare-ups recorded since Monday morning.
Though there has been no official figure on how big the fire is, but local reports said that the wildfire exceeded 30 kilometers, according to CNN.
Scientists said that rising temperatures are leading to longer wildfire seasons and increasing the area burnt in the flames. Meanwhile, several areas of Europe are also coping with high temperatures.
Parts of France clocked 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday while the Italian capital saw 38 degrees Celsius on Monday. In the Netherlands too, the mercury is between 32 and 35 degrees Celsius.
