Evacuations near Athens as another wildfire hits Greece during heat wave
Evacuations south of Athens as wildfires spread in extreme heat
- Urgent evacuation orders have been issued for five communities south of Athens as a large wildfire rages near the capital.
- The blaze, which began Thursday in the Palaia Fokaia seaside area, is intensified by strong winds and Greece's first summer heatwave, with temperatures nearing 40C.
- Firefighters, supported by water-dropping planes and helicopters, are battling the inferno, which has sent thick smoke across the sky and consumed at least one house.
- The entire wider Athens area and several Aegean islands are currently at Level 4 on a 5-level scale for wildfire danger due to prevailing weather conditions.
- This incident follows a recent major wildfire on Chios island, which took four days to control, underscoring the frequent occurrence of such blazes during Greece's hot, dry summers.