About forty fires have broken out in Greece since last Saturday as the local fire brigades continue today (Monday) to fight to put them out. Thousands of residents were evacuated from their homes following a large fire that spread towards the northern suburbs of Athens.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned to Athens on Sunday after cutting his vacation short to deal with the crisis.
Yesterday in the afternoon, a huge fire broke out about 35 kilometers north of Athens, which during the night spread south. Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers are fighting the fire alongside firefighting planes and helicopters. According to reports, the flames sometimes reached a height of more than 25 meters.
Besides the residents of Athens, residents from 11 different villages that were near the fires were evacuated. In addition, three hospitals were evacuated and the evacuees were sent to hotels and a local sports hall.
According to the local authorities, some people who refused to evacuate their homes found themselves trapped and needed to be rescued, thus endangering their lives and the lives of the firefighters. Two firefighters were slightly injured and several civilians needed treatment at the hospital due to smoke inhalation.
* Channel 14 News contributed to this report.
