A large wildfire broke out south of Athens on Thursday, forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders and close parts of the coastal road linking the Greek capital to Sounion, home to the ancient Temple of Poseidon, a major tourist destination.
The blaze erupted as Greece experienced its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
“Right now, strong land and air forces are fighting a huge battle against the flames, mainly among homes,” fire department spokesman Col. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said during a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, as reported by AP.
Twelve water-dropping planes and 12 helicopters were deployed to support 130 firefighters tackling the flames in the Palaia Fokaia seaside area south of Athens. Volunteer firefighters also joined the operation, while a coast guard vessel sprayed water on the fire from the sea.
The wildfire reportedly broke out within a populated area and was rapidly fanned by strong, shifting winds, sending thick smoke across the region. Television footage showed at least one house engulfed in flames.
Local mayor Dimitris Loukas told Greece’s state-run ERT television that several homes were believed to have been damaged, though precise information on property destruction was not immediately available.
The coast guard said two patrol boats and nine private vessels were stationed near Palaia Fokaia in case evacuations by sea became necessary. Ambulances were also on standby but had not been needed as of Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed.
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“We’re telling people to leave their homes,” said local town councilor Apostolos Papadakis on ERT television. Authorities closed sections of the coastal road between Athens and Sounion in both directions, advising residents to use alternate routes to evacuate the area.
According to Vathrakogiannis, police evacuated 40 people, while evacuation orders were issued for five different areas.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but the fire department has sent an arson investigation team to the scene.
The broader Athens region, along with several Aegean islands, remains on Level 4 — the second-highest level on Greece’s five-tier wildfire risk scale — due to the heat wave and dry conditions, which are expected to persist through the weekend.
Earlier this week, a major wildfire on the eastern Aegean island of Chios took firefighters four days to bring under control. The blaze prompted more than a dozen evacuation orders as flames destroyed forests and farmland. Authorities arrested a woman suspected of starting the fire by discarding a cigarette.
Wildfires are a common threat in Greece during the hot, dry summer months. In 2018, a devastating wildfire swept through the coastal town of Mati, east of Athens, killing over 100 people, including some who drowned while trying to escape the flames by sea.