Wildfires Approach Athens Amid Record Heat Wave

On Tuesday, 3 August, wildfires broke out in several villages north of Athens, caused by abnormal heat.

Due to the fires, the highway linking Athens with North Macedonia has been blocked. The situation is complicated by the weather; since the beginning of last week the country has been experiencing 40-degree heat. According to forecasts, the abnormally high temperatures will last another 12 days.

The Greek authorities urged the population not to leave their homes, especially for pregnant women and the elderly. Cooling centres have been opened for the homeless on an emergency basis.

Greece, due to its Mediterranean climate, experiences long dry summers with extremely high temperatures, especially during the months of July and August. The country, as a result, regularly suffers from devastating forest fires. In 2018, the Attica wildfires claimed the lives of 102 people.

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A statue of the goddess Athena is seen as a wildfire burns at Varympompi suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.

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People watch a massive forest fire north of Athens. A forest fire broke out on 3 August 2021, cutting a section of the main motorway linking Athens to northern and southern Greece.

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Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire in Varympompi, a suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.

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A firefighter gives water to a dog as a wildfire burns in Varympompi, a suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.

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A helicopter operates during a wildfire in Tatoi area, northern Athens, Greece, Tuesday, 3 August 2021.

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Volunteer firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire in Varympompi, a suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.

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Horses are seen in a farm as a wildfire burns in Varympompi, a suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.

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A firefighter tries to extinguish the flames at a burning house in the Varibobi area, northern Athens, Greece, Wednesday, 4 August 2021.

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Volunteer firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire in Varympompi, a suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.

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People gather at the entrance to a military airport in Tatoi near Acharnes during a massive forest fire, north of Athens on 3 August 2021.

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Firefighters work near burnt cars as a wildfire burns in Varympompi, a suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.

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A firefighter reacts as a wildfire burns in Varympompi, a suburb north of Athens, Greece, 3 August 2021.