Houses reduced to rubble, land scorched: the aftermath is significant in the Greek town of Penteli, after a forest fire killed a woman and forced thousands to flee their homes.
Fueled by strong winds, Greece’s worst forest fire of the year has spread since Sunday across parched territory and ravaged 10,000 hectares, destroying countless buildings and vehicles. About 100 houses have suffered significant damage, according to the civil protection.
According to the website meteo.gr, 37% of Attica’s forests have burned in the last eight years.
The fire started on Sunday afternoon near the historic town of Marathon, 40 km northeast of Athens, which has more than 7,000 inhabitants and which had to be evacuated.
PHOTO ANGELOS TZORTZINIS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Fueled by strong winds, Greece’s worst forest fire of the year has spread since Sunday across parched territory and ravaged 10,000 hectares.
Dozens of evacuation orders have been sent to residents in the area. Several stadiums have been opened to accommodate the displaced.
On Tuesday morning, the body of a Moldovan woman in her sixties was found at her workplace in a burnt-out factory in Halandri, near Athens, according to authorities.
The risk of fire remained very high on Wednesday, particularly in northern Greece, firefighters warned.
Greece is particularly vulnerable to wildfires after a very dry winter. June and July were the hottest months since records began in 1960.