Greece, again affected by vegetation fires. Photo: Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP / Profimedia
More than 100 Greek firefighters were trying to keep a vegetation fire on Monday, which has ravaged in a dense forest near a village northeast of the Capital Athens and forced the Greek authorities to issue evacuation orders, informs Reuters, quoted by Agerpres.
Assisted by 17 aircraft and 30 vehicles filled with water, 120 firefighters were sent to the village of ANO Souli, located about 40 kilometers from Athens. The inhabitants of this village and those in the Marathon nearby received the order to leave their homes.
🔥 A Massive Wildfire Has Broken Out in Ano Souli Near Marathon, Greece.
About 90 Firefighters, Supported by Aircraft and Helicopters, has Fighting the Flames.
Emergency Alerts Have Ordered Residents to Evacate to Safer Areas. Traffic is Blocked, and Authorities Urge… pic.twitter.com/b6pdniheon
– Volcaholic 🌋 (@Volcaholic1) June 16, 2025
Forest fires increasingly difficult to control
Located in the southern extremity of Europe, Greece has felt in recent years the economic and environmental impact of frequent vegetation and flood fires, which scientists say it has been exacerbated by rapid climatic changes.
This country has spent hundreds of millions of euros by granting compensation to households and farmers for damages associated with extreme weather and to purchase new and modern forest fire extinguishing equipment, which have become more difficult to control in the context of increasing temperatures during summer.
Greece has hired a record number of firefighters this year, anticipating a difficult season of vegetation fires.
One of the largest vegetation fires in Europe burned for several weeks in northern Greece in 2023, killing at least 20 people. Last year, a devastating fire descended from the slopes of a mountain to the areas built from the edges of Athens, forcing the locals to run in front of the flames.
