The London Daily News

Greece in state of emergency as army and fire firefighters combat "biblical" fire not seen for years

International News Desk

Large areas of mainland Greece have been hit with a deliberate campaign of fires in the forests of Attica north of Athens with areas of Penteli, Souli, Martathon, St. Stefanos, seeing local populations evacutated as wild fires, not seen in Greece for years are fleeing to preserve their own lives.

Planes and helicopters are being despatched from Italy, France and Cyprus to bolster the ELAS air force who are struggling to combat the fires which have inflicted the mainland areas of Attica.  

Local residents in Attica have been categorical in their criticism of the Greek government’s response to the fires with the first signs of a response late Saturday evening, when fires were already raging from 6am Saturday.

Lessons have not been learnt from the fires that destroyed areas of the Peloponnese peninsula, with preventative measures not taken like cleaning debris inside forests, building roads to prevent fires spreading.  The Greek government has also been attacked for not putting to tender an EU funded project to supply the Greek forces with modern fire fighting equipment.  

The Greek media has been transfixed with the "biblical" destruction of the forests of Attica with over 70 fire frontiers all over the mainland of Greece.

Reports from the Greek media indicate that fires may well have been the work of arsonists who have used the strong winds that afflicted the area to spread fires.  

Euronews has reported that Athens is now on a heightened state of alert fearing fires may hit the Greek capital:

"Wildfires raging out of control in Greece have now reached the outskirts of Athens itself. More than 60 fires have been reported across the country, the worst burning west of the historic town of Marathon; gale force winds are pushing the flames towards the capital. The explosion of wildfires has seen hundreds of rescuers drafted into action. Even the army has been called in, with tanks, to help clear firebreaks and evacuate local people."

Photo credit: Skai Athens News

Greece on fire