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.
Σοκαριστικες εικόνες απο την ΤΕΡΑΣΤΙΑ καταστροφή στην #Ευβοια 3 ενεργά μέτωπα το 1 με κατεύθυνση στον Όσσιο Δαυίδ & τους καταρράκτες του Δρυμμώνα 😥😥😥 #Πυρκαγια #βαρυμπομπη #ΛιμνηΕυβοιας pic.twitter.com/PChTHjqjlj
— pagiannitis (@AgiannitisPanos) August 3, 2021
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.
#Greece battered by an array of wildfires. Just a few kilometers north of Athens a fresh wildfires forces the evacuation of a number of neighbourhoods. An associate had to leave his home and evacuate his family and dog.pic.twitter.com/hRwf9u20L9
— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) August 3, 2021
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.
A video of the current fire situation in Kifisia, Athens caught by a friend living there. 🥺🙏 #Greece
IG: billyng13 / VasilisGiapalakis pic.twitter.com/ruwZmkMhzW
— Tony Kariotis (@iamgreece) August 3, 2021
Fires were also noted at other regions around Attiki, where the Athens capital is located, as well as the islands of Evia and Kos.
