The 2024 Greek wildfires are a series of 30-kilometre-long lines of forest fires across the Attica region. This series of fires started on August 11 and lasted until August 14, 2024. Media outlets referred to this as: “Greece’s worst wildfire of the year 2024.”
Description.
The series of wildfires started with two large forest fires on August 11, 2024, at 03:00 P.M., 35 km north of Athens, near Varnavas. Some of the fires in this series had flames were higher than 25 meters (80 feet). The fires were ignited by hot and windy conditions in the area. The summer of 2024 is said to be Greece's hottest June and July on record.
10 communities surrounding Varnava were evacuated to prevent wide-scale destruction.
Efforts to contain and combat.
To combat this fire, 700 firefighters were deployed accompanied by volunteers, 190 fire engines, and 33 water-bombing aircraft. On August 12, Greece activated the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Additionally, aid was sent to Greece by the Czech Republic (sending 75 firefighters), Turkey, France, Italy, and Spain. The aid was sent in the form of planes and helicopters.
Damage.
Due to the fires, huge clouds of smoke filled the sky, resulting in eight people being hospitalized with respiratory issues. As the fires approached Athens, they had already taken over Mount Penteli. This led to the death of one woman and the evacuation of thousands of residents. Two firefighters were injured in attempts to contain the fire. As per RC European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), by August 13, 10,630 hectares of land in the East Attica region had been burned.
As of August 14, the fires had burned 40 square miles of land, northeast of Athens. In total, it took into grasp, 100,000 acres of land.
The fires badly affected the suburbs of Nea Penteli, Palaia Penteli, Patima Chalandri, and Vrilissia, with 100 homes damaged beyond repair.