A Turkish actor puts on a hose and puts out the fires
Hellfire is burning the northern parts of Athens and forcing thousands to flee their homes, the BBC reported. As a result of the fires over the Greek capital, clouds of smoke spread and nothing can be seen.
At noon on Wednesday, the fire had engulfed 80 houses and dozens of cars, forcing residents to be evacuated to other parts of the city. Trains on the Athens-Thessaloniki line were suspended and the Athens-Lamia highway section was closed.
Over 500
firefighters
fight a battle
with the element,
assisted by 9 helicopters, 5 planes, police and army.
People in the suburbs of Acharnes, Likovrisi, Kato Kifisia and Metamorfosi were advised to close their windows and close their chimneys to prevent smoke and ash from entering their homes.
The EU’s Atmospheric Observatory said smoke clouds from the fires were clearly visible in satellite images of the region.
“The fire is big and it will take a lot of effort to control it. There is a lot of dry grass in the area due to the heat. They help the fire to spread quickly and make conditions very difficult for firefighters, “said Athens Regional Governor Georgi Patoulis. In some regions of our southern neighbor
near Thessaloniki
temperatures
reached 47 °,
and in Athens the maximum was about 42 degrees, but according to the locals they exceeded 50 °. Due to the heat, the hours for visiting the Acropolis were reduced.
Despite the critical situation, no deaths or serious injuries were reported. “Thank God we have not lost a human life so far,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after touring the affected area on Wednesday, adding that the situation was a nightmare.
Hotels in the Greek capital provide rooms for the thousands evacuated from the fire. The fire near Athens broke out on Tuesday in a large pine forest at the foot of Mount Parnita.
Due to the fire in Varibobi, the high-voltage power line Acharnes – Agios Stefanos stopped working, which led to power outages in a number of areas in the Attica region.
Forest fires are raging in other parts of the country as well. On the southern coast of the Peloponnese, on the islands of Evia and Kos, there was an evacuation of settlements.
Due to the extremely high temperatures, the electricity grid in Greece is under voltage, as the air conditioners of households and public buildings work under heavy load. Prime Minister Mitsotakis called on Greeks to limit electricity consumption as much as possible, especially in the afternoon and at night.
The last such heat wave in Greece in 1987 claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people.
Deadly forest fires have also been raging in neighboring Turkey for more than a week, killing at least eight people and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.
Famous Turkish actor Ibrahim Celikkol has volunteered to fight the fires. The actor was involved in efforts to extinguish the fire, dangerously approaching a thermal power plant in the town of Milias, Mugla County. The television broadcast footage showing the actor in the middle of the flames, holding a hose from which a strong stream of water is pouring. At the same time, the fire near the leak was contained. On social media
thousands called
the president
Erdogan yes
withdraw
others criticized the lack of resources and the fact that Turkey was not adequately prepared for the situation.
A 64-year-old man died in a forest fire in southern Albania, where hundreds of firefighters and soldiers are battling the blaze. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents of three villages near Gjirokastra, where heavy fires have been raging for two days.
In recent days, flames have erupted in Italy, Spain and northern Macedonia.
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