Wildfire Destroys Homes on Athens Outskirts Before Being Contained

07:38 4/7/2025 - Πηγή: iEfimerida

A major wildfire that raged through residential areas on the eastern outskirts of Athens has been brought under control, after destroying homes and cars and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people in a frantic, multi-hour battle.

The blaze, which broke out Wednesday afternoon in low

vegetation along a major avenue in Rafina, was quickly fanned by strong winds into the neighboring towns of Pikermi and Spata.

By Thursday morning, authorities were beginning to assess the damage.

The mayor of Spata-Artemida, Dimitris Markou, confirmed that several houses and vehicles had been destroyed by the flames.

During the height of the fire on Wednesday, emergency services launched a large-scale evacuation operation. Police rescued 57 people who were trapped by the flames, while more than 300 residents were ordered to leave their homes via emergency alerts sent to their mobile phones.

A massive force of more than 170 firefighters, supported by 17 aircraft and seven helicopters, fought to contain the blaze as it threatened populated areas.

“We’re in a state of emergency,” the mayor of the nearby town of Lagadas, Niki Andreadou, told state broadcaster ERT3 as the fire spread.

By Wednesday evening, the fire service announced that the blaze was largely under control, though firefighters remained on the scene to extinguish remaining pockets and prevent flare-ups.

Traffic has since been restored on the main Marathon Avenue, and the nearby port of Rafina has reopened.

The government’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister, Yiannis Kefalogiannis, led a coordination meeting to manage the response, and an investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.

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Wildfire Destroys Homes,Athens Outskirts Before Being Contained