The worst wildfires of the year in Greece are expanding rapidly as satellite images reveal vast areas covered under a thick shroud of smoke.
The fires, which erupted on Sunday near Lake Marathon, raced across Mount Penteli and descended into the northern suburbs of Athens, triggering widespread evacuations and claiming at least one life.
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Satellite images from Planet Labs show a vast expanse of land in East Attica engulfed in smoke, with dense clouds obscuring the ground below.
On Tuesday morning, firefighters were battling to contain the flames which have been fueled by dry conditions and strong winds. Although the winds that fanned the flames on Sunday and Monday had died down overnight, the fire department warned that the situation remained critical.
“Firefighters have been working at full tilt for months,” said Nikos Lavranos, head of Greece’s main firefighters’ union. “They are exhausted.”
Authorities have been racing against time to extinguish as much of the blaze as possible before Tuesday afternoon, when winds are expected to pick up again, with gusts forecasted to reach up to 70kph (43mph).
Reinforcements from France, Italy, Turkey, and other countries have joined the firefighting efforts, deploying water-dropping aircraft and additional firefighters.
The wildfire has caused widespread destruction. Firefighters discovered the burned body of a woman in an industrial building in the Vrilissia suburb just after midnight on Tuesday.
The woman, believed to be an employee, was trapped in the building despite evacuation orders.
More than a dozen people have been treated for smoke inhalation, and five firefighters have suffered light burns and breathing problems, according to the fire department.
The flames, reaching heights of up to 25m (80 ft), have engulfed pine forests left tinder-dry by Greece’s hottest summer on record.
June and July were the hottest months ever recorded in the country, following its warmest winter. An early and intense fire season has stretched Greece’s firefighting resources to the limit.
On Monday, police assisted in evacuating over 250 people from the path of the flames, with officers seen carrying elderly residents from their homes against the backdrop of a flame-red sky.
“Authorities said some people who refused to leave their homes later became trapped and required rescuing, endangering the lives of firefighters,” Mr Lavranos added.
Three hospitals, including a children’s hospital, two monasteries, and a children’s home were among the locations evacuated as a precaution. Despite the extensive evacuation efforts, dozens of homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed, though the exact number is yet to be determined.
The fires have drawn stark comparisons to previous devastating blazes in Greece. In 2018, a massive fire swept through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, killing more than 100 people. Last year, over 20 people died in wildfires, including 18 migrants who were caught by flames in northeastern Greece.
Meteorologists have warned that the wildfire danger remains high due to ongoing weather conditions, with dozens of other fires reported across Greece since Sunday.
The country, like much of the Mediterranean, has been grappling with increasingly frequent and severe wildfires, which authorities attribute to the climate crisis.