Hundreds of Greek firefighters, armed with more than 200 fire engines and 20 water-bombing aircraft, have contained the fires that started over the weekend in Varnavas, Attica.
While many locals were forced to flee their homes, the wildfires proved fatal with the body of a Moldovan woman in her 60s found in a burned-out factory in Halandri and at least 66 people injured, including five firefighters.
Fuelled by strong winds, the fire scaled Mount Penteli overlooking Athens and devastated the suburbs of Nea Penteli, Palaia Penteli, Patima Halandriou and Vrilissia.
Greece appealed for international assistance from France, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Turkey, as authorities indicated they were sending hundreds of firefighters along with helicopters, fire engines and water tankers.
Sports halls including the Athens Olympic Stadium have been assigned to shelter the homeless and one former Olympic hall was used to house over 150 rescued pets.
With Athens blanketed in thick smoke for days, scientists have reported an alarming rise in hazardous airborne particles.
“Never in a million years did I think a fire would come here… We’re without clothes, money, everything was burned inside,” 65-year-old Sakis Morfis told AFP outside his gutted home in Vrilissia.
Greece’s National Observatory, itself threatened by the wildfire, predicted temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, August 13 with winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned early from holiday due to the crisis amid citizens rallying to blame the government for the spread and destruction of the wildfires.
“Every year we are doing our best to improve, but unfortunately conditions are becoming more difficult,” Mitsotakis said after an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday, August 13.
Source: The Australian.
