Residents near Athens, eastern Greece count toll of wildfires

·

Greece is evacuating several towns as the country battles its most intense heatwaves and wildfires in decades. 

A fire on the outskirts of Athens is the worst of 81 wildfires that broke out in Greece within a 24 hour period after the area to the capital’s north hit 34-year record-breaking 45 degrees Celsius. 

“Our country is undergoing one of the worst heatwaves of the past 40 years,” Civil Protection chief Nikos Hardalias says.

“We continue to fight hour by hour, with our top priority being to save human lives.”

“We will do so all night.”

Smoke blankets Athens (Photo: AP/Aggelos Barai)

Residents near Tatoi evacuated towards Athens amidst a heavy blanket of smoke with Greece’s main north-south highway partially closed. 

Fire crews attended to each house and responded to 315 people’s calls for help and six people required treatment for light breathing complaints. 

No severe injuries or disappearances have been reported and authorities say several buildings have been damaged. 

The cause of the blaze is unclear. 

Wildfires also raged in other parts of Greece and prompted evacuations in the southern Peloponnese and the islands of Evia and Kos, authorities say. 

To Greece’s far east, Jason Zafeirakopoulis is one of many residents in Rhodes who’s been left counting the toll amongst the charred remains of his family’s vineyard. 

“As far as the vines are concerned, I think everything is destroyed,” he tells Sky News’ Europe correspondent Michelle Clifford

“We are thankful that we still have our home and our buildings for our business because the flames came so very close that we might have been homeless today, so I guess we are thankful for that. But we do struggle to figure out how we are going to recover.”

Mike Koulianos is a Maritsa local and says it’s the first time the village has had to evacuate. 

“We can see this every day, we have problems with the weather. Today we have 39 degrees. It’s very hot. Everything is changing for the worse.”

Mr. Koulianos says big business is driving climate change. 

“Of course it is [climate change]“, he says. 

“Especially the people who have factories and all that – everything starts from there. They have to do something so we can follow.”

He speaks for other residents when he says this week’s fires as the worst many have seen in their lifetime. 

Source: AP, Sky News, Guardian 

greek film festival sydney new

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Service, culture, and unity: Greece’s new Consul General in Sydney sets out his vision

Greece’s new Consul General in Sydney, George Skemperis, speaks to The Greek Herald about diplomacy, unity, and the vibrant Greek Australians.

Greek school memories: Honouring the teachers who shaped our language and lives

Both the negative and heartfelt stories of Greek school have a way of becoming core memories for Greek Australians.

Spotlight on VCE Greek teacher Kristian Raspa

Sunday, October 5th is World Teachers’ Day and gives us the opportunity to celebrate the influential educators who have shaped our lives.

Movie ‘Arcadia’ picked for Oscars 2026 as Greek entry

The submission will represent the country at the 98th edition of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States.

Greece remains world’s maritime powerhouse in 2025

Greece continues to dominate global shipping, maintaining its position as the world’s top ship-owning nation by capacity.

You May Also Like

Greek farmers confirm livestock plague won’t impact feta production

Greek farmers have reassured feta cheese production will continue as normal after concerns following the spread of a virus among livestock.

Man jailed for murder of Ross Houllis in Sydney

Sami Hamdach, 30, has been jailed for the murder of 28-year-old Ross Houllis in Sydney over a pair of fake AirPods.

Giorgos Iliopoulos wins second bronze medal for Greece at World Championships

Giorgos Iliopoulos has won a second bronze medal for Greece at the World Taekwondo Cadet Championship 2023 in Sarajevo.