Greece evacuates Athens suburb due to wildfire threat

Greece evacuates Athens suburb due to wildfire threat
June 4, 2022, 5:41 pm

Wildfires in Greece

A wildfire whipped by gale-force winds blazed through vegetation in a southern suburb of Athens on Saturday (June 4), the Fire Brigade said, forcing residents to evacuate.

The Alarabiya English reported, citing the AFP, the Greek Civil Protection issued an emergency appeal via sms for people to leave Ano Voula and the surrounding areas as the flames spread to within yards (meters) of houses.

Six water-bombing aircraft, three helicopters and municipal water tankers supported dozens of firefighters with 20 fire engines.

Ant1 tv station showed policemen telling people they should leave.

Media reported a power cut in the area where some roofs, gardens and vehicles had been damaged by the blaze.

Widfires in Greece 2021: Firefighters try to put out a fire in Afidnes, some 30 kilometers away from the Greek capital of Athens, on Aug. 6, 2021. Greek authorities said that three people have been arrested for suspected arson, as devastating wildfires continue to scorch thousands of hectares of forest land across the country. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Skai tv station showed footage of a burning house with flames licking inside.

“The situation is very difficult and the wind does not help,” said Giannis Konstantatos, mayor of Ellinikon-Argiroupoli, a neighboring municipality, who also heads a conservation group for nearby mount Imittos.

Greek wildfires are the biggest ecological disaster of last few decades

He told Athens News Agency: “The atmosphere is suffocating, we have difficulty breathing."

The agency added, Giorgos Papanikolaou, the mayor of Glyfada, where the fire broke out, said it all started at a high voltage electricity power station.

Last summer, Greece’s most severe heatwave in decades, which authorities blamed on climate change, saw fires destroy more than 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland, the country’s worst wildfire damage since 2007.

Three people have been arrested for suspected arson as devastating wildfires rage in Greece

More than 200 firefighters and technical equipment provided by European Union countries will be soon deployed to Greece to help boost the battle against large wildfires.

Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Romania and Norway will take part in the deployment, coordinated by the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism.

Source: alarabiyaenglish

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