A massive effort continued on Tuesday morning to contain the last flames of a conflagration that erupted on Sunday in the township of Varnavas on the back of gusty winds. The multiple fronts of the Athens wildfire rapidly spread throughout northeast Attica prefecture on Sunday afternoon and over the next day.
According to reports, the blaze, which stretched almost 30 kilometers at its height, has broken up into scattered active fronts in Varnavas, Nea Makri and along the slopes of Mt. Penteli, while firefighters are also battling flare-ups.
The gale force winds that had been plaguing Greece since Sunday somewhat subsided on Monday night, but remained strong enough to hamper firefighters’ efforts.
Earlier in the day, authorities discovered the body of a 65-year-old woman in Vrilissia, who is believed to be a victim of the wildfire.
A large rekindling occurred before dawn on Tuesday morning in the Erithros neighborhood of Nea Makri, threatening residencies and resulting in a 112 emergency message to evacuate the area.
Due to the continuing fronts burning in the Athens wildfire, traffic restrictions have been put in place around the affected areas – Marathonas, Varnavas, Nea Makri, Dionysos, Penteli and Pallini- are still in place. However, ferry boat arrivals and departures from the port of Rafina, which had been closed off due to the blaze on Monday, have been restored.
A sizable mobilization comprised of 702 firefighters, aided by 27 forest fire units and volunteers operating 199 fire engines are active. Twelve water-dropping aircraft are also operating after daybreak.
Moreover, reinforcements are set to arrive today via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism from France, Italy, Serbia, the Czech Republic, and Romania, while Turkey has also offered to send assistance.
