Greece wildfires force thousands to flee historic site and popular tourist towns

Country battling as many as 40 fires, with seven major blazes stretching resources of fire services

A massive wildfire tearing through northern Athens forced the evacuation of thousands of people on Sunday as flames soared up to 25m in height.

The fire service called for the evacuation of several towns near the capital city, including the historic Marathon, and emergency services were working round the clock to ensure the safety of local people.

Homes were burning in Varnavas and Grammatiko and firefighters were evacuating people trapped in a convoy of vehicles trying to flee the area.

The situation was exacerbated by winds of 39-46mph, which caused the fire to spread “like lightning”. “The village was surrounded in no time, in no time. It’s really windy,” resident Katerina Fylaktou told Reuters. “It started from one point and suddenly the whole village was surrounded.”

Greece was battling as many as 40 fires on Sunday, authorities said, with seven major blazes stretching the resources of the country’s fire services. Several regions remained on high alert for wildfires on Sunday and Monday.

Smoke from wildfires is seen above the Greek parliament building in central Athens on Sunday (AP)

Vassilis Kikilias, climate crisis and civil protection minister, warned that high temperatures, wind gusts and drought conditions meant that half the country was under a high-risk warning.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister, cut short his holiday and returned to Athens on Sunday to oversee the emergency response. By early evening, the wildfire in Varnavas had already scorched 100 sq km of land.

People living in Varnavas and Grammatiko received evacuation orders via the national emergency number and those in Marathon were directed to head towards the coastal town of Nea Makri.

Smoke from wildfires is seen above Hadrian's Arch in central Athens, Sunday, on 11 August 2024 (AP)

“We are appealing to all residents of the area. Given the fire is advancing rapidly, it is imperative that they heed the instructions of the authorities,” fire service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.

“At this time, the fire is advancing toward Marathon Lake with the forces against it being constantly reinforced, focusing on the flanks and dealing with flames that in some cases are higher than 25m.”

In spite of the deployment of 165 firefighters, 30 vehicles and multiple aircraft, strong winds were hampering efforts to control the fire, which was expected to rage through the night.

Hospitals in Athens remained on high alert as a thick cloud of brown smoke blanketed parts of the city.

Greece has witnessed hundreds of fires this summer, which brought the hottest June and July on record to the country.