On Wednesday, as Britain tallied the cost of its hottest day ever, a wildfire raged in the mountains near Athens, forcing hundreds to flee, including hospital patients. The fire was fueled by gale-force winds.
This month, wildfires have wreaked havoc across Europe, starting in Greece, France, Spain, Turkey, Italy, and Portugal and being fueled by the increasingly hot and dry conditions that climate experts associate with global warming.
Nearly 500 firefighters, 120 fire engines, and 15 water-carrying planes battled the flames on Mount Penteli, which is located about 27 kilometres (16 miles) north of the capital of Greece.
On Wednesday, the fire that started on Tuesday afternoon was still raging on various fronts.
Authorities reported that nine communities were evacuated. Police assisted at least 600 residents in leaving fire-damaged regions while also evacuating one hospital and Athens’ National Observatory.
Fire Department spokesman Yiannis Artopios said in a televised statement, ‘It was a challenging night,’ adding that wind gusts were over 80 kph (50 mph). Up until Wednesday afternoon, forecasters called for further strong winds.
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