By Adeyemi Adekunle
Greek capital and its surrounding areas are under siege as wildfires rage out of control, forcing the evacuation of hospitals, homes, and entire communities.
Despite the tireless efforts of civil protection forces, the flames continue to spread, turning the skies over Athens into a hazy, smoke-filled battleground.
The situation intensified on Monday, with the Greek authorities ordering the evacuation of more areas around Athens, including hospitals that are critical to the region’s healthcare infrastructure.
The rapid advance of the flames has left little time for residents to gather belongings as they flee their homes. The fire brigade’s spokesman, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, described the fight against the wildfires as a “superhuman effort,” underscoring the relentless and unpredictable nature of the blaze.
“Civil protection forces battled hard throughout the night, but despite superhuman efforts, the fire evolved rapidly,” Vathrakogiannis said in a statement, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the firefighters.
The fires, fanned by strong winds and fueled by the parched landscape, have proven difficult to contain, with new blazes erupting even as others are brought under control.
As of Sunday afternoon, firefighters had managed to extinguish 33 of the 40 fires that had broken out in the previous 24 hours. However, seven major blazes continued to rage, prompting authorities to issue fresh evacuation orders for at least five more communities on Monday.
The civil protection authorities have been working around the clock to coordinate the evacuation efforts, ensuring that residents are moved to safety as quickly as possible.
The wildfires have drawn comparisons to previous years when Greece faced devastating fires, but the speed and intensity of the current blazes are raising alarms about the growing threat of climate-related disasters.
As temperatures soar and drought conditions persist, the region remains on high alert, with emergency services bracing for what could be an extended and grueling battle against the flames.
