This week, fires continued to burn across Greece. Firefighters and volunteers are battling the flames in the Evros region for a fifth day and on Mount Parnitha near Athens until late at night.
Fires near Athens
Earlier this week, new fires broke out in Aspropyrgos, near Attica, and in Parnitha, a few kilometers northwest of Athens. Suburbs at the foot of the mountain were evacuated on Tuesday evening when a fire was reported in Fyli, and earlier in the day in Dardiza, Agia Paraskevi, Amygdaleza and Rodopi.
The smoke from the fires greatly annoys the inhabitants of the capital
At the same time, smoke from the Parnitha fire has made breathing conditions very difficult in the capital. The National Weather Service said air quality in Attica has been seriously degraded due to the Parnitha fire.
Deaths are to be deplored
In Greece, the death toll from the fires now stands at 20, including 18 refugees and migrants who were hiding in the Dadia forest. The fire remained uncontrolled for days.
There would be 209 new fires in three days
Firefighters have been working to contain at least 209 new fires in three days. Fires continue to burn in Parnitha, near the Olympic Village, Alexandroupolis, Dadia Forest, Kavala, Fthiotida, Viotia, Thiva and Rodopi. The Ministry of Civil Protection said 93 forest fires and 142 urban fires had broken out in the past 24 hours.
According to the fire risk map published by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection on Wednesday, the very high fire risk (category 4) remains in place for Attica, which includes the wider area of Athens.
European Union (EU) countries have sent aid
Under the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, which Greece activated on Tuesday, EU members have sent aid. So far, eight planes, 40 vehicles and 246 firefighters have been deployed from eight countries,” the European Commission said via its Twitter account.
These fires come after the Rhodes fires
According to the post-disaster assessment of the fires in Rhodes released today by the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, satellite risk mapping reveals that 83% of the total burnt area suffered moderate to high damage.
Strong winds and high temperatures are expected to persist through Thursday.
