Reuters. More than 670 firefighters backed by volunteers, 183 fire engines, 32 fire-fighting planes and helicopters battled throughout the night and into the early hours of Monday (August 12) after the latest wildfire that broke out on Sunday (August 11) near Varnavas 35 km (20 miles) north of Athens.
A fast-moving wildfire fueled by strong force winds spread to the edge of the Greek capital on Monday, torching trees, houses and cars and forcing evacuations of several hospitals and a dozen towns and villages, Greek authorities said.
By Monday the fire, the worst in Greece this year, had advanced to the village of Grammatiko, the seaside municipality of Nea Makri and the fringes of Athens' densely populated northern suburbs at theheavily wooded Mount Penteli.
Hundreds of wildfires have broken out across Greece since May. While summer fires are common in Greece, extraordinarily hot and dry weather linked to climate change have made blazes more frequent and intense. Wildfires fanned by extreme heat have also raged this month in parts of Spain and the Balkans.
