Summer camp and villagers evacuated as wildfire rages near Athens (updated)

Holding Admie Ipto SA

03/08/2021 15:18

(Updates with power grid at risk, quote)
    By Angeliki Koutantou
    ATHENS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Children were evacuated from a
summer camp and residents of nearby villages fled their homes on
Tuesday as a wildfire raged on the outskirts of Athens, with
Greece's worst heatwave in more than 30 years bringing scorching
temperatures.
    More than 300 firefighters with 35 vehicles and 10 aircraft
battled the blaze in a densely vegetated area in the foothills
of Parnitha mountain in the suburb of Varympompi.
    About 80 children had to leave the summer camp and villagers
were ordered out of their homes in Varympompi, Adames and
Thrakomakedones, some 20 km north of the capital, although some
stayed behind to defend their houses with garden hoses.
    "Dozens of homes are being burnt," Michalis Vrettos, deputy
mayor of Acharnes region told Open TV as thick plumes of smoke
rose over the houses behind him. Four people were taken to
hospital with breathing difficulties, local TV reported.
    In Athens, power grid operator IPTO said the fire had
damaged parts of the grid, posing a major risk to electricity
supply in areas of the wider metropolitan region and authorities
and power operators have called an emergency meeting.
    The fire has also disrupted train routes and forced
authorities to seal off part of a national motorway.
    Temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius and high winds
have fanned more than 100 wildfires in different areas of Greece
in the past couple of days.
    The fires add to the conflagrations that have engulfed
several areas of the Mediterranean as Europe grapples with a
summer of extreme weather from heavy flooding in the north to
severe heatwaves and fires in the south.
    As the Greek firefighters fought the blazes near Athens and
in areas of the Peloponnese peninsula, to the west of the
capital region, Turkey was facing a seventh consecutive day of
wildfires that have torn through some of its most popular
tourist areas.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2PA4ZM



 (Reporting by Athens bureau;
Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Alison Williams)
 ((angeliki.koutantou@thomsonreuters.com; +30 2102214608;
Reuters Messaging: angeliki.koutantou.reuters.com@reuters.net))