Greece fires: One dead and thousands evacuated as flames spread through Athens suburbs

As wildfires rage through mainland Greece, prospective travellers may be worried about how this will impact their holiday plans.

A spokesperson for Jet2 told The Independent: “Our flight schedule to and from Athens is currently operating as normal however we continue to closely monitor the situation and the advice of the relevant authorities. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.”

Ryanair confirmed it is operating as usual and will follow guidance from local authorities.

The Independent has reached out to British Airways and EasyJet for comment.

Greece’s coast guard ordered all ferries going to and from the nearby port of Rafina, which serves mainly the Cycladic islands and Crete, to be diverted to the port of Lavrion due to the fire.

Meteorologists and government officials have warned of the heightened danger of wildfires because of weather conditions from Sunday until Thursday, with half of the country placed under a “red alert” for wildfire hazard.

One person has died as wildfires spread in the suburbs of Athens in Greece on Monday.

The fire department said shortly after midnight they found a body in a burnt building in the suburb of Vrilissia, but were unable to immediately provide further details.

A source from the fire service told the BBC that the body was believed to be of a woman.

Climate change is projected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, with a global increase of extreme fires of up to 14 per cent by 2030, according to a UN report.

Intense, long-lasting heat draws moisture out of the ground and vegetation.

Once ignited – whether by natural or human triggers – these tinder-dry conditions provide fuel for fires to spread at an incredible speed, aided by very strong winds.

The way that humans use land is also important in affecting how wildfires spread.

Wildfires and climate change are mutually exacerbating. Wildfires are made worse by climate change through increased drought, high air temperatures, low relative humidity, lightning, and strong winds resulting in hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons.

At the same time, climate change is made worse by wildfires, mostly by ravaging sensitive and carbon-rich ecosystems like peatlands and rainforests. This turns landscapes into tinderboxes, making it harder to halt rising temperatures.

Greek firefighters were to be boosted by forces from other countries from Tuesday, after Athens sought international assistance, activating Europe’s mutual civil protection mechanism.

France will provide a helicopter and 200 firefighters with 28 fire trucks, Italy two water-dropping planes and the Czech Republic 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles, officials said, while Serbia and Romania were also readying aid. Neighbouring Turkey’s foreign ministry said it would dispatch two firefighting planes and a helicopter, while Spain was also finalising reinforcements to send to Greece.

Several other countries have agreed to send support to Greece as it tackles a huge widfire threatening Athens.

Authorities said The General Secretariat of Civil Protection initiated the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) with a request to provide air and ground assistance to deal with the incidents.

So far, the following have responded to the Greek request:

• France, with the shipment of one Super Puma type helicopter, which is expected to arrive this evening. 
• Italy, with the dispatch of two Canadair firefighting aircraft, which are expected to arrive tomorrow morning. 
• The Czech Republic, sending 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles, of which 9 are waterborne, expected to arrive tomorrow. 
• Assistance from Spain and Turkey is also expected. 
• Romania already have firefighters on the ground.

The Independent’s Rich Booth reports from Greece:

Wildfires are frequent in Greece during its hot, dry summers, but authorities have said climate change is fueling bigger and more frequent blazes.

In 2018, a massive fire swept through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping people in their homes and on roads as they tried to flee in their cars.

More than 100 people died, including some who drowned trying to swim away from the flames.

Last year, wildfires in Greece killed more than 20 people, including 18 migrants who became trapped by the flames as they trekked through a forest in northeastern Greece and were caught by a massive fire that burned for more than two weeks.

The Greek fire department has appealed to residents to follow evacuation orders, with authorities noting that some people who had refused to leave their homes later became trapped.

Col. Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, the fire department’s spokesman, said: “During the night, the wind remained strong, creating dangerous situations.”

“Unfortunately their intensity is expected to increase in the coming hours, and in any case citizens of the areas where the fire is developing must follow the directions of authorities,” he added.