Greece Major fire breaks out in south-east Athens
A fire has broken out in the south-east of Athens for as yet unexplained reasons. Thick clouds of smoke rise into the sky. Numerous vacation homes burned to the ground; a large bush and forest area is on fire, as Greek television ERTnews showed.
26.06.2025, 17:09
SDA
The civil service sent a text message asking residents to leave the affected region of Palaia Fokaia, which is located on the coast around 60 kilometers southeast of the Greek capital. The region is mainly home to vacation homes, many of which belong to Athens residents.
First evacuations of tourists
Eleven tourists from a vacation home in the affected region were brought to safety by the police in good time, Greek radio reported. According to information from fire department circles, hotel facilities were not initially threatened by the flames.
A spokesman for the fire department announced that twelve helicopters and twelve fire-fighting planes, as well as the crews of 80 fire engines and numerous volunteers, are fighting the flames.
Civil defense warns of great fire danger
Temperatures of around 40 degrees are prevailing in large parts of Greece. In addition, winds of force six with strong gusts are blowing in places. The civil defense warns again and again: the combination of drought, heat and winds can turn the smallest flame into a major fire within minutes.
