Hundreds of firefighters struggled overnight to contain a large blaze on the outskirts of Athens.

The fire at Varybombi was just one of 81 which broke out in Greece over the past 24 hours, exacerbated by the strong winds and heatwave reaching 45 degrees centigrade.

The Varybombi fire broke out shortly after 1pm on Tuesday and quickly spread through the region. By 9pm it had reached Tatoi, on the wooded foothills of Mt Parnitha, and the Olympic Village.

The fire burnt on three fronts as the fire swallowed up residential homes, and also resulted in residents with breathing problems to be rushed to hospitals around Athens.

Despite the fire licking some homes, some people refused to abandoned their residences, while hundreds of calls were received by emergency services by friends and relations of people worried that their loved ones were stranded in the blaze.

Horses appeared in the square, released from equestrian clubs in the region. Children at the camp of the Varybombi Horseriding Centre were evacuated while police cordoned off the area.

More than 500 firefighters struggled through the night to contain a large forest blaze on the outskirts of Athens, which raced into residential areas, forcing thousands to flee. It was the worst of 81 wildfires that broke out in Greece over the past 24 hours, amid one of the country’s most intense heatwaves in decades.

More than 520 firefighters and 150 engines as well as 17 units on foot are battling with the blaze.

Dionysos/Kryoneriou Mayor G. Kalafatidis said that Kryoneri would not need to be evacuated as yet as 20 fire engines and more than 100 men worked on the front.

Regional Governor George Patoulis ordered that houses in the area be evacuated for precautionary reasons following warnings from the Hellenic Fire Brigade.

Fires were also noted at other regions around Attiki, where the Athens capital is located, as well as the islands of Evia and Kos.

 

Fire burns in Kalamata. Photo: AMNA