At least one person has been killed and dozens injured as smoke and power outages plague the Greek capital. Major international assistance has been mobilized to assist Greece.
The fires swept through suburbs on the northern outskirts of AthensImage: Alexandros Avramidis/REUTERS
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Greece's National Observatory said on Tuesday that at least 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of land had been devastated after two days of wildfires that continued to rage. At least one person has died and dozens have been treated for injuries as tens of thousands of people flee their homes north of Athens.
Dozens of evacuation orders were issued, after the blaze scalled Mount Pentelicus overlooking the capital.
The fire has already destroyed an unknown number of homes and businesses in Nea Penteli, Palaia Penteli, Patima Halandriou and Vrilissia.
Authorities said they found the badly burned body of a woman in her 60s in the ruins of a factory.
Blankets of black smoke could be seen over Athens, and residents reported several power outages.
There was hope however that Athens might be spared the worst of the disaster after strong winds that had pushed the blaze through the suburbs began to die down.
Moreover, Greece was expecting international help from fellow EU members such as France, Italy, and the Czech Republic to arrive later on Tuesday. Neighboring Turkey also said it would assist Greece's fleet of water-dropping aircraft.
The European Commission also announced that it was activating a system for European countries to assist not only Greece but also Albania, which is battling wildfires as well.
PM slammed by the press
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was lambasted by the Greek press on Tuesday. The conservative leader was seen visiting the Civil Protection Ministry on Monday but has yet to comment on the disaster.
"Enough is enough," declared the front page of top-selling centrist daily Ta Nea, while the liberal Kathimerini said the "out of control" inferno "had left huge destruction (and) unanswered questions."
Pro-government daily Eleftheros Typos decried the situation as a "nightmare."
Mitsotakis will chair a Cabinet meeting later on Tuesday, after which he is expected to announce a series of relief measures for those who have lost their homes or property in the fires.
Greece's wildfires claim first fatality
Devastating wildfires in the northeastern of the capital, Athens, have claimed their first fatality as Greece asks the EU for help.
Image: Alexandros Avramidis/REUTERS
First fatality
The fires continuing to burn northeast of Greece's capital are keeping people on tenterhooks. On Tuesday morning, fire fighters found the body of a woman in a burned-out factory, according to Greek media reports. This is the only reported fatality so far.
Image: Stelios Misinas/REUTERS
Battling the flames together
Volunteers in Vrilissia, just north of Athens, are working together to support emergency services in extinguishing the fires. Pockets of embers lying dormant in the ground are particularly dangerous as they could spark a new fire at any time. In addition, the wind, which died down during the night, could pick up again and cause small fires to swell rapidly.
Image: Alexandros Avramidis/REUTERS
Massive destruction
The melted taps of this bathroom sink in Halandri, a suburb of Athens, show the extreme heat of the wildfires. Power has been cut in many places after a number of wooden electricity pylons burned down or fell over. A forest considered one of the last important "green lungs" in Athens has also been burned.
Image: Stelios Misinas/REUTERS
Breathing is difficult
People are desperately climbing onto house roofs in Vrilissia to get a better view of the situation. Some are wearing masks to help them breathe. The air is heavily polluted with officials warning that the smoke is reaching toxic levels.
Image: Alexandros Avramidis/REUTERS
International help arrives
Flames leap up the trees as people try to extinguish the flames. The entire area is now being monitored by the fire brigade and police. International aid is also arriving. After Greece activated the EU's civil protection mechanism, countries such as the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Serbia, Romania and Turkey pledged to help.
Image: Elias Marcou/REUTERS
Sense of helplessness
Flames are getting closer and closer to homes in the village of Varnavas, near Athens. Meteorologists and civil defense officials repeatedly warned over the weekend that due to extreme drought and strong winds around the Aegean Sea, the smallest fire could develop into a major blaze within minutes.
Image: Hilary Swift/REUTERS
Fighting the flames
Spokesman Vassilios Vathrakogiannis said firefighters were fighting the flames all night, some more than 25 meters (80 feet) high. Nevertheless, the blaze spread quickly. Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of several villages northeast of Athens on Monday morning, including a children's hospital and a military hospital in Penteli.
Image: Alexandros Avramidis/REUTERS
Taking matters into their own hands
Although flames were getting closer by the hour, many people in Dionysos were not prepared to give up their homes. Instead, they tried to extinguish the blaze themselves using garden hoses — in some cases, leading to arguments between residents and the emergency services.
Image: Alexandros Avramidis/REUTERS
Tireless commitment
By Sunday evening, firefighters had brought 33 of the 40 blazes that broke out within 24 hours under control, according to fire department spokesman Vathrakogiannis. However, seven fires were still burning as of Monday afternoon.
Image: Stelios Misinas/REUTERS
Parthenon obscured by smoke
Tourists can usually enjoy an excellent view of the Parthenon in Athens from this vantage point. But today, the temple is hard to make out amid the billowing smoke. Temperatures aren't expected to drop in the coming days, with up to 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) expected on Monday.
Image: Costas Baltas/picture alliance
Helicopter in action
More than 400 firefighters with 110 vehicles, 29 firefighting aircraft and helicopters have been deployed in the affected regions to fight the flames.
Image: Hilary Swift/REUTERS
No relief
Southern Europe has increasingly struggled with extreme heat waves and forest fires in recent years, with tourists also feeling the effects. Some popular tourist sights have even had to close completely at times, with visitors at risk of extreme heat. Temperatures in the sun have hit up to 60 degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit) in some areas.
Image: Stelios Misinas/REUTERS
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Firefighers 'working full tilt for months'
Fire Department spokesperson Colonel Vassileios Vathrakogiannis said hundreds of firefighters were no longer battling a single fire but "many active localized blazes," mostly around Marathon and Pendeli.
The most recent fires come after an unusually warm winter in Greece, and record-setting heat in June and July.
"Firefighters have been working at full tilt for months," said Nikos Lavranos, head of Greece's main firefighters' union. "They are exhausted."
Scientists have warned that man-made climate breakdown will increase the number and intensity of wildfires during dry periods. Last year, 28 people died and 75 were injured in some 80 wildfires that swept the popular tourist island of Rhodes.
EU to send help to Greece as wildfires threaten Athens
