Greek wildfires: Big blaze threatens village outside Athens
A major wildfire burning northwest of the Greek capital is devouring large tracts of pine forest for a third day and threatening a large village
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A major wildfire northwest of the Greek capital devoured large tracts of pine forest for a third day and threatened a large village as hundreds of firefighters, assisted by water-dropping planes and helicopters, battled the flames on Wednesday.
The blaze in the Vilia area broke out Monday shortly after another wildfire started to the southwest of Athens. Several other villages and a nearby nursing home received evacuation orders.
On Wednesday, a shift in the wind direction drove the flames towards Vilia, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Athens. Greek media said outlying buildings were damaged, but no injuries were reported and no evacuation order was issued for the village.
Clouds of smoke obscured the sun, which cast an otherworldly, orange light over the capital.
Local mayor Christos Stathis told Open TV that the fire was within a few dozen yards from Vilia, and appealed for firefighting aircraft to be deployed to the spot.
Hundreds of wildfires have burned across Greece this month, fueled by parched forests and shrubland from the country’s most severe heat wave in decades.
The blazes have stretched the country’s firefighting capabilities to the limit, leading the government to appeal for international help, including through a European Union emergency response system. About two dozen European and Middle Eastern countries responded, sending planes, helicopters, vehicles and hundreds of firefighters.
Intense heat and wildfires have also struck other Mediterranean countries. Firefighters in France worked to contain a forest fire along the French Riviera on Tuesday, and recent wildfires have killed at least 75 people in Algeria and 16 in Turkey. Worsening drought and heat have also fueled wildfires in the western United States and in Russia’s northern Siberia region.
Greece’s fire department said 370 firefighters, including 143 from Poland, were deployed at the Vilia fire on Wednesday, along with 130 vehicles, eight helicopters and three planes. The army, volunteer firefighters and local authorities also provided assistance.
By midday Wednesday, an estimated 7,500 hectares (18.500 acres) of forest had been destroyed in the area.
Satellite imagery from Tuesday published on Twitter by the European Commission’s defense industry and space department showed a giant plume of smoke from the Vilia fire extending south for hundreds of kilometers along the entire length of the Peloponnese.
___
Follow AP's coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.