Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has cut his holiday in Chania, Crete short returning urgently to Athens on Monday morning amid the critical situation caused by the multiple wildfire fronts raging in the wider Athens area.
The Greek government is on high alert as the front, which reportedly started in the town of Varnavas, in northeast Attica, started rapidly spreading south on the back of strong winds.
On Monday morning Mitsotakis visited the Unified Coordination Center for Crisis Operations and Management (ESKEDIK) of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, where he was briefed on the progress of the fire and the ongoing firefighting operations.
Mitsotakis remained in direct communication with his associates and the responsible minister, Vassilis Kikilias. Today, meetings will be held at the Maximos Mansion, chaired by Mitsotakis.
Government sources estimate that the deployment of aerial firefighting means and their success will be crucial for containing the wide front. State sources say that reports on the extent of the damage to residences are unclear.
Following the evacuation of houses and facilities caught up in the line of the blaze, local and central government authorities have coordinated to provide places to host evacuees, while provisions have also been made for the safety of pets and animals.
Currently, there are three main fronts: in the town of Grammatiko in the Marathon municipality, Mt. Penteli, and the east Attica town of Nea Makri.
The wildfire front was burning forestland, shrubs, and other mixed greenspace areas along a front extending from Mt. Dionysos to Mt. Penteli, with the latter overlooking the greater Athens area from the north.
Some reports had other fires springing up throughout the night in rapid succession around both peaks: Dionysos and Penteli, both areas repeatedly burned in the past by similar blazes.
Evacuations have been ordered both in surrounding residential areas as well as of the Holy Monastery of Penteli and the St. Ephraim Monastery.
