Calay News
The authorities ordered the 25,000 inhabitants of Año Liosia, located northwest of Athens, to leave their homes after several houses were engulfed in flames in the neighboring neighborhood of Fyli, according to an AFP reporter. Greece has faced a new wave of up to 60 fires since Monday amid temperatures above 40ºC. Firefighter spokesman Yannis Artopios described the situation as “unprecedented” due to extreme weather conditions. Artopios previously announced the deaths of 18 people, possibly migrants, in a forest ravaged by flames in northeastern Greece, near the border with Turkey, and in a transit area for clandestine migrants.
Since there is no information on missing residents in the area, firefighters are investigating the possibility that they were people who entered the country illegally, according to the spokesperson. The flames continue to spread in the Alexandroupolis area and on the islands of Euboea and Kythnos in the Aegean Sea, as well as in the Boeotia region, northwest of Athens, due to the combination of strong winds and high temperatures.
The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, highlighted the need for help from the European Union, while six countries have offered assistance through the EU’s civil protection mechanism. Several places, including the Año Liosa district and Mount Parnitha National Park, have been affected by the flames. Extreme weather conditions, driven by climate change, exacerbated the situation in Greece, which also experienced destructive fires in previous weeks.
