Widespread Fire in Greece Leaves Athens Surrounded by Smoke and Flames

Multiple forest fires in Greece, including a major fire near Athens, the capital, have raised concerns among officials and led to the evacuation of several areas and villages. Firefighters, despite having contained the large fire in northern Athens, are still battling dozens of other fires across the country. As of Sunday afternoon, while flames were destroying vehicles and homes, the mayor of Athens described the situation as 'very difficult' and officials called for the evacuation of at least eight areas near the capital. The large fire that broke out on Saturday in a densely forested area about 20 kilometers north of Athens sent strong winds and a massive cloud of gray smoke over the Greek capital, with the smell of burnt wood and falling ash reported in many places. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of a tough summer and urged citizens to prepare for potential difficulties. These fires have occurred after the warmest winter and the first recorded heatwave in Greece, with unprecedented temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius last week. Strong winds and high temperatures have complicated firefighting efforts and led to the rapid spread of the fires. On the island of Serifos, six villages have been evacuated due to the fires, and reports of fires have come from several islands in Greece. Fire officials have announced that over 40 fires occurred on Saturday across Greece, and efforts to contain these fires are ongoing. Forest fires occur annually in Mediterranean countries, but in recent years, the effects have become more devastating due to hotter and drier summers. Scientists attribute this trend to the effects of climate change. Meanwhile, on Sunday, it was reported that recent fires in the Selçuk and Menderes areas on the outskirts of Izmir, as well as in Susurluk in Balıkesir province, Turkey, which had destroyed hundreds of hectares of land, have been brought under control, but the road from Selçuk to Kuşadası remains closed. Ibrahim Yumaklı, Turkey's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, announced that investigations into the causes of these fires, particularly the Menderes fire that started in a tourist garden, are ongoing. According to officials, the fire in the tourist area of 'Çeşme' in western Turkey, which burned about 50 hectares, was started by a cigarette butt.