Greek firefighters raced to contain a major wildfire burning on the outskirts of Athens for a fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, with calmer winds allowing aircraft to intensify efforts against the blaze.
More than 500 firefighters and over 30 aircraft were deployed around Mount Kithairon, about 60 kilometres northwest of Athens, where authorities continued battling active fire fronts and smoldering hotspots.
“We want to keep the fire in a controlled situation,” fire department deputy spokesperson Yiannis Artopios told state broadcaster ERT, warning that strong gusts could still trigger new flare-ups.
Civil protection authorities kept the greater Athens area and the nearby island of Evia under near-maximum wildfire risk, while forecasters warned temperatures are expected to climb later this week.
RelatedTRT World – Wildfires force evacuations in Greece as blazes burn near Athens
Thousands of hectares scorched
According to Greece’s National Observatory of Athens, wildfires have burned around 70,000 hectares across the Attica region over the past nine years.
