A large wildfire broke out near the town of Keratea, east of Athens, on Friday afternoon, forcing authorities to evacuate hundreds of people from the area.
The wildfire is aided by winds that reached an intensity of 9 on the Beaufort scale.
Firefighters struggle to contain wildfire at Keratea
Firefighters, with the support of helicopters and aircraft, are struggling to contain a wildfire with multiple fronts that are threatening homes. 190 firefighters with 44 vehicles, 7 on-foot units, 11 aircraft and volunteers are working at the scene. The fire in Keratea appears to be burning out of control.
An emergency alert message was sent through 112 to residents of the Drosia and Harvalo Kerateas villages asking them to evacuate toward Anavyssos.
Meanwhile, traffic police has shut down traffic on the rural Keratea-Anavyssos road because of the fire, and calls on drivers to listen to directions and facilitate fire trucks coming through.
High fire risk in Greece
The General Secretariat for Civil Protection has issued a “red alert” (risk category 5) for a number of areas due to conditions that are extremely favorable for the outbreak and spread of fires. The alert is in effect for:
- Attica (including Kythira)
- Central Greece (Boeotia and Evia)
- Peloponnese (Argolis, Corinthia, and Laconia)
A “very high” fire risk (category 4) is also in effect for eleven other regions, including parts of Western Greece, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades, Crete, and the Ionian Islands.
