Greece Continues Battle to Extinguish Fires in Northwest Athens Amid Fears of Renewed Blazes

Mountainous areas northwest of the Greek capital, Athens, continue to see firefighting teams’ efforts to control forest fires that have been raging since Friday, amid persistent hotspots and the possibility of renewed blazes with any change in weather conditions. The spokesperson for the Greek Fire Service, Yannis Artopoulos, told AFP that field teams have been working for a fifth consecutive day, describing the fire as one of the most difficult the teams are currently facing. He explained that around 30 aircraft are participating in suppression operations over the mountains overlooking the Corinth Gulf, approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Athens, aiming to curb the spread of the flames. He added that the affected area is extensive and still contains hotspots requiring continuous monitoring, as strong winds could spark new fires. The recent decrease in wind speed has helped resume aerial firefighting operations and improve control over the situation, despite isolated hotspots that prompted evacuation orders for three small towns north of Megara.