A new wildfire erupted on Monday morning southeast of Athens, Greece, with strong winds exceeding 70 kilometres per hour fueling the blaze, according to firefighters. The fire broke out in Kouvaras, located 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of the capital in the Attica region.
In response to the escalating situation, civil protection authorities issued an evacuation order for Agios Stylianos, a village situated near Kouvaras. A significant deployment of resources is underway, with 172 firefighters and approximately 40 vehicles dispatched to combat the flames. The operation is also supported by two water-bombing aircraft and four helicopters.
Hours after the fire started, an AFP photographer observed that the flames appeared to have subsided.
This incident marks the second wildfire near Athens this summer. Just ten days prior, another fire northwest of the Greek capital devastated more than 11,000 hectares of pine forests and farmland. That earlier blaze took five days to bring under control, exacerbated by wind gusts reaching up to 130 km/h. Tragically, two helicopter crew members lost their lives in a collision with another helicopter while battling those flames.
Greece, like many Mediterranean countries, is experiencing an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires, a phenomenon scientists attribute to climate change. The nation remains on extreme alert, with several regions still classified as having a very high fire risk. Experts have voiced concerns regarding the growing severity of fires impacting Attica, the region where Athens is located. Historical data reveals that from 2017 to 2026, 42 percent of the total forest area in Attica was consumed by 15 major fires.
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