Evacuations ordered as wildfires rage northeast of Athens
Firefighters are working to contain a large wildfire that broke out in the mountainous region of Penteli, Greece, on Tuesday, just under 10 miles (16 km) from downtown Athens. Onlookers from the streets of North Athens described sights of rampant flames and billowing smoke from the hillsides Tuesday evening.
The fire reportedly broke out Tuesday morning along the foothills of Mount Pentelikon in Attica, between the municipalities of Daou Pentelis and Drafi. Evacuation orders were issued for at least 600 residents across the suburbs of Anthousa, Dioni, Dasamariou, Drafi, Pikermi and Pallini.
The Penteli Children's Hospital evacuated 36 children and 19 staff members on Tuesday, transferring them to Agia Sofia Children's Hospital in central Athens. The National Observatory of Athens, the oldest research foundation in the country, was also evacuated, according to the Greek media outlet Hellenic News.
On Wednesday, the Hellenic Fire Service released that one person has died and 30 have been transferred to medical facilities in the Attica region.
The Fire Brigade's spokesperson, Giannis Artopios, told a local news station, "Personnel at all Attica fire services are on high alert." According to a report, roughly 350 firefighters were deployed Tuesday night to battle the wildfire with 60 fire engines, 13 ground teams, 15 water-bombing aircrafts and nine helicopters.
A firefighter tries to extinguish the flames next to motorcycles during a wildfire near Megara town, west of Athens, Greece, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Firefighters worked through the night to halt the spread of the flames to the nearby Athens suburbs of Pallini, Athousa, Gerakas and Drafi. AccuWeather meteorologists stated that gusty winds on Tuesday played a role in fanning the fire and that conditions are not expected to improve much before Friday.
Although Greece has been spared from the intense heat gripping western Europe this week, droughtlike conditions have elevated the risk of wildfires across the country. Athens has not avoided above-normal temperatures this week, with daytime highs ranging between 3 and 8 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average on numerous days. Typical late July temperatures in Athens range around 90 F (32 C).
As the wildfire continues to spread around the suburbs of Athens, smoke can rapidly decrease air quality levels, especially if homes catch fire. In comparison to burning trees, the smoke from a burning building will contain higher levels of toxicity due to the synthetic materials being consumed by flames.
Blazes continue to burn across France, Spain and Italy as the record-setting heat combined with widespread dry conditions to create a dangerous fire threat.
Wildfires that raged across southwestern France this week have burned roughly 51,200 acres of Gironde, a popular tourist destination and wine-making region, which prompted the evacuations of more than 39,000 people. Météo-France had placed 15 departments in the western portion of the country on the highest state of alert for extreme temperatures on Tuesday.
By Tuesday evening, authorities in Gironde announced that they were gaining ground in the fight to control the wildfires. Temperatures across southwestern France declined on Wednesday compared to previous days, falling from the lower 100s F to the lower 80s F.
On Wednesday, Météo-France had issued orange level alerts for 24 departments for extreme temperatures, a step down from Tuesday's alert level.
Two massive wildfires continue to burn uncontrollably in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain. Meanwhile, a separate blaze was brought under control in the province of Zamora in central Spain.
Leonardo Marcos González, the head of the Spanish Civil Protection and Emergencies agency, told The Associated Press that the intense heat and wildfires had hit the country three weeks earlier than what is typical.
Extreme drought and heat across Italy have also contributed to the spread of wildfires this week, which prompted the Italian Health Ministry to issue red alert heat wave warnings for 14 cities Thursday, including Rome. A red alert warning is the highest level of its three-tier warning system.
As the core of the heat shifts across south-central Europe into this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the risk for wildfires will likely increase.
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