View of a high point in Athens. Smoke from the wildfires nearby blankets the city.
By Anastasia Economides
A thick, black cloud of smoke blankets the city tonight as wild forest fires continue to consume villages near the capital. A total of 65 fires all over Greece have been reported to have started today, according to the Greek Fire Department.
Greece is no stranger to wildfires, due to its hot, dry climate and strong winds during the summer.
The temperature in Athens dropped to 27 degrees Celsius this evening, from the usual 30, as the heavy smog blocked the sun all day. Satellite photos show the smoke to have almost reached Crete.
With reminisce of the 2007 wildfire disaster in Peloponnese, which killed over 70 people, the Greek government declared a state of emergency at noon Saturday. Some fires at the outskirts of Athens have been blazing since the night before.
There have been no reported casualties so far.
Over 200 firefighters with 85 fire trucks and more than 50 water tanks, along with hundreds of volunteers are said to be battling the flames.
Officials are recommending minimal water usage at this time.
Evacuations
Fires are said to have started in Grammatiko last night, quickly spreading down towards Athens, consuming large villages such as Dionysos, Stamata, and Marathon.
As to how the situation is being handled, there are rising issues such as not having enough equipment, ground forces having difficulty approaching fires due to the rough terrain, water trucks not knowing where to refill for water, and planes and helicopters not flying at night because of lack of visibility.
All day, residents watching their homes burn reached out to news stations first to request help.
A mother from Rodopoli, a village about 25 miles away from Athens also drowning in flames, called one of the popular radio stations, Skai, asking for fire trucks to come and save her home.
“Where are they, what are they doing?” she pleads. She is told to leave the area immediately.
Skai Media have been providing full coverage of the fires since this morning, putting aside their scheduled programming of the annual Superleague Soccer Championship.
Talks about how the fires started are likely to come about later on. State officials are slowly acknowledging arson as the probable cause. An investigation by the District Attorney of Athens has been ordered.
Helpless
Residents and customers at cafes in Athens can be found glued to televisions. Many look on in silence, some with their hands over their mouths.
“This has to be one of the biggest fires here in the last decade,” warned Constantine Pirganas, 26, an Athenian who has witnessed ashes falling from the sky during the 2007 fires. “It’s going to be a long night.”
