Near Athens, “all the olive trees, all the vines have burned,” farmers lament

In Varnavas (Greece), a Greek village located near the city of Marathon (Greece), flames devour the forest and vegetation on the night of Sunday 11 to Monday 12 August. While firefighters are struggling to slow the blaze, it is already too late for the farmers, who have lost everything. “All the olive trees, all the vines have burned, everything is lost. Thousands of trees have also gone up in smoke, there is nothing left.”laments a resident.

On Monday morning, more than 600 firefighters remained mobilized, supported by helicopters and water bombing planes. More than 7,000 residents of the area had to be evacuated. The Greek authorities are referring to a situation “chaotic”as reported by Dimitrios Pipkios, a military reservist. “Our military unit has been there from the beginning. We try to help the firefighters and the volunteer teams.”he added. Eight people were hospitalized for respiratory problems. With the high temperatures and strong winds, the fire is still progressing rapidly towards Athens (Greece).