Residents evacuated as wildfire spreads near Athens

Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as a massive wildfire rages north of Athens, with flames reaching up to 25 metres (80 feet) high.

The historic site of Marathon is one of the areas where residents are being evacuated to safety by emergency responders.

Houses and real estate in villages near Varnavas According to the fire department, it was burning.

Firefighters also evacuated people trapped in a convoy of 20 to 25 vehicles trying to escape the fire.

As of Saturday afternoon, 40 fires have broken out in Greece, with firefighters still battling seven more.

“Firefighters worked through the night to put out the blaze, but despite their superhuman efforts, the fire spread quickly,” fire service spokesman Vasilis Batracogianis said at a news conference Monday morning.

More than 500 firefighters and 150 vehicles were deployed to fight the blaze.

He said the fire was moving south to the town of Penteli, northeast of Athens, where at least three hospitals had been evacuated.

And Mr Batracogiannis added that winds had been strong overnight and were expected to intensify throughout Monday morning.

Greece just experienced its hottest June and July on record. According to the records.

Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias warned that extremely dangerous weather conditions would continue.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cut short his vacation and returned to Athens on Sunday to address the crisis.

In Barnabas, a wildfire that started on Sunday afternoon had burned 100km2 (38sq mi) by 7pm BST.

The residents of Barnabas and Grammatico were ordered to evacuate via the national emergency line.

Residents of the historic city of Marathon were also ordered to evacuate to the coastal town of Nea Makri.

One firefighter from the marathon was taken to the hospital with second-degree burns to his arms and legs, and five others were taken to the hospital with respiratory problems.

“Everything is on fire,” said a resident of the village of Polydendri.

“I planted 200 olive trees there, but now they are all gone,” said Giorgos Chevas, 48.

“Everyone who lives here has an olive grove or a vineyard… and they’ve all been destroyed.”

Another Barnabas resident, Nikos Anagnostou, said the blaze was “absolutely huge” and “uncontrollable”.

“The olives are all burnt. And this year was a good year for oil production.”

Fire brigade spokesman Vathrakogiannis said the fire spread quickly and massively on Sunday, fuelled by winds. Up to 8 boports (39-46mph).

“We are appealing to all residents in the area. For their own safety and because the fire is spreading quickly, it is essential that they follow the instructions of the authorities,” Mr Vathrakogiannis said.

“The fire is now advancing towards Marathon Lake, with firefighters constantly being reinforced to focus on the flanks and fight blazes that are in some cases more than 25 metres high,” he added.

Strong winds are severely hampering the work of firefighting aircraft involved in the firefighting operation, and with winds expected to remain very strong, firefighting efforts are expected to continue throughout the night.

Athens’ medical centers and hospitals remained on high alert Sunday evening, with some areas of the capital shrouded in clouds of brown smoke.