[ad_1]
Greek authorities On Sunday evening, an evacuation of the historic town of Marathon near Athens was ordered due to the threat of fire.
Greece struggles on Sunday Many forest firesIts smog, in particular, covered parts of the capital Athens, amid warnings of extreme weather conditions for the rest of the week.
Fire department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis told media that as of Sunday afternoon, firefighters had successfully controlled 33 of the 40 fires that broke out in the past 24 hours.
The fire caused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to interrupt his vacation and return to Athens on Sunday evening.
Greece’s civil protection minister warned on Saturday that half the country was at high risk of fires until at least August 15 due to high temperatures, high winds and drought.
Varnava evacuation
In eastern Attica province, a fire in the town of Varnavas swept through an area scattered with houses, releasing huge plumes of smoke that engulfed parts of the capital, Athens, in smog on Sunday afternoon.
Fire officials said 250 personnel, 67 vehicles, 12 aircraft and seven helicopters had been deployed, supported by mobilised soldiers.
Residents of Varnavas and its surrounding areas were ordered to evacuate. “Every year it’s the same thing. We have to leave our homes (because of the fire). Thirty minutes ago we went to see our house and our cats,” Eugenia told AFP while riding a motorbike.
She said her village of Metohi was not currently under threat, but she feared what might happen overnight.
Another fire broke out in Megara, western Attica, early Sunday afternoon, triggering an evacuation alert.
Greece is particularly vulnerable to summer wildfires, especially after a particularly dry winter.
June and July were the hottest months since statistics began to be collected in 1960. Scientists warn that human-caused fossil fuel emissions are increasing the duration, frequency and intensity of heatwaves around the world.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says rising temperatures are leading to longer wildfire seasons and an increase in the area burned worldwide.
[ad_2]
Source link
