A total of 41 rural fires and wildfires were reported across Greece on Tuesday, according to fire brigade, with 36 extinguished almost immediately and with efforts continuing for the remaining five, including the massive blaze that scorched northeast Attica over the past two days.
No active fronts were reported in the Athens-area conflagration as of Tuesday evening, although significant forces remained in several areas to prevent flare-ups.
More than 1,000 personnel – fire-fighters, forest fire units, municipal crews and volunteers – battled the flames that ravaged the northeast regions of Attica, with a total of 199 vehicles deployed in the operation. Twenty aircraft, fixed-winged and helicopters, were used to drop water on Tuesday.
All roads were also opened in affected areas as of Tuesday evening, authorities said, while the power supply resumed in affected areas, except for the Daou Penteli district.
Meanwhile, 649 people from fire-stricken areas were temporarily housed in 39 hotels in the greater Athens area.
Meteo.gr reported that the burned area had already reached approximately 100,000 acres after the wildfires, which began in Varnavas, northeast of Athens, rapidly spreading to multiple regions, including residential areas in the capital. This figure is expected to rise as the fire continues to rage in several scattered locations through Tuesday.
The front in Attica spanned a staggering 23 kilometers, according to a map released by the European Copernicus service. Firefighters were faced with the daunting task of battling 168 active fire fronts as the flames spread rapidly across the region.
A satellite image from Copernicus Sentinel-2, captured on August 12 at 12:05 p.m., shows the wildfire burning just a few kilometers from the center of Athens.
