Fire erupts on Mount Parnitha near Athens

ATHENS:

A wildfire broke out on Saturday on Mount Parnitha, north of Athens, prompting a large response from local fire brigade.

Nearly 90 firefighters were deployed in the area, assisted by at least eight water-dropping aircraft and helicopters, as the blaze was raging near a settlement, according to a fire brigade press statement.

Authorities issued an emergency alert for nearby residents to "stay alert and follow official guidance." The fire has led to the closure of the Athens-Lamia national highway as a precaution, as thick smoke has risen over a wide part of northwestern Athens.

Strong winds blowing in the area were hampering firefighting efforts, Kostas Zobos, deputy governor of the Attica region, told the media.

A large part of Mount Parnitha was scorched down during a major wildfire in the summer of 2023.

Greece suffers from many wildfires every summer due to high temperatures, heatwaves linked to climate change, and arson. Twenty people lost their lives in 2023 as a result of the wildfires. One person died earlier this June in a wildfire in western Greece.

Due to unusually high temperatures in spring and June, authorities have said that the risk will be high this summer.