Thousands of residents have to leave their homes as a large forest fire continues to rage north of Athens, with flames reaching up to 25 metres high.
The historic site of Marathon is one of the areas from which rescue workers are bringing residents to safety.
Houses and plots in the nearby town of Varnavas were burning, according to firefighters. Firefighters were also evacuating people who were trapped in flames and had tried to flee the area in a convoy of 20 to 25 vehicles.
Since Saturday afternoon, 40 fires have broken out in Greece, and firefighters are still battling seven of them.
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias warned that the extremely dangerous weather will continue. Greece has just experienced its hottest June and July months. on record.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned to Athens on Sunday, cutting short his vacation to deal with the crisis.
In Varnavas, the forest fire that broke out on Sunday afternoon had burned 100 square kilometres of land by 19:00 BST.
Residents of Varnavas and Grammatiko were ordered to evacuate in a message sent via the national emergency number.
Residents of the historic town of Marathon were told to evacuate towards the beach resort of Nea Makri.
Fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said the fire was quickly fanned to enormous size by the wind. up to 8 Beaufort (39-46 miles per hour).
“We appeal to all residents of the area. For their own safety and given the rapid spread of the fire, it is imperative that they follow the instructions of the authorities,” said Vathrakogiannis.
“Currently the fire is advancing towards Marathon Lake with crews continually increasing their presence, focusing on the flanks and battling flames that in some cases are over 25 metres high,” he added.
A force of 165 firefighters, including nine foot crews, as well as 30 vehicles, seven firefighting aircraft and five helicopters were deployed to extinguish the flames.
The work of the firefighting aircraft involved in the operation was significantly hampered by the strong wind. Since the winds were expected to continue to be very strong, firefighting was expected to continue throughout the night.
Medical centers and hospitals in Athens remained on alert on Sunday evening. Parts of the capital were hidden under a cloud of brown smoke.
