Athens, July 3 (EFE).- Local authorities have ordered the evacuation of more than 1,200 people after a major forest fire broke out Thursday on the outskirts of Athens.
Hundreds of firefighters fight to contain the flames before nightfall forces them to stop water drops from the air.
“The fire is in remission, although efforts continue to combat several dispersed foci”, a spokesperson for the firefighters told EFE.
The most concerning focus continues to burn near Spata, a town with approximately 12,000 inhabitants, which has not yet been evacuated and is not directly threatened.
The fire broke out near the coastal town of Rafina, located about 20 kilometers east of the Greek capital, and quickly spread westward, fueled by strong winds.
So far, authorities have ordered the evacuation of four nearby towns, including the settlement of Imeros Pefkos, located about 5 kilometers north of Athens International Airport.
Public broadcaster ERT reported that on Thursday afternoon the dense smoke caused the closure of a runway at the airport and delays in several flights.
This was later denied by the airport’s press officer Eleni Dimopulu in statements to EFE: “There has been no delay and no closure of any runway due to the fire.”
“The only thing that has happened is that the control tower has exchanged the functions of certain runways to make it easier for aerial firefighting means to land at the airport for refueling,” he added.
The port of Rafina, the second largest in the capital region of Attica and one of the most important in the country has been affected.
The authorities have announced that “until further notice” no disembarkation is allowed at that port.
All ships -the majority come from the Cyclades islands- that were scheduled to arrive in Rafina today will disembark at the nearby port of Lavrio, a little further south.
More than 170 firefighters and 48 vehicles continue to fight the flames, while 14 planes and 7 tanker helicopters drop large amounts of water to contain the flames before nightfall.
The Police managed to rescue 51 people who were trapped in the burning areas.
According to regional authorities in the municipality of Rafina, at least five houses have been burned down, and at least six more in Spata, further west.
On the Greek island of Crete, more than 200 firefighters and 10 tanker helicopters continue to fight another major forest fire, which caused the evacuation of nine coastal towns and more than 5,000 people, mostly tourists.
Four people have been hospitalized with respiratory problems due to this fire in Crete, where the intervention of the authorities was also necessary to rescue people trapped in their homes.
Another 65 firefighters, 19 vehicles, and three tanker planes are fighting near the village of Larimna, in central Greece, against another fire that for the moment does not threaten populated areas.
Many of the fires have spread driven by strong winds and a heatwave that swept through the country last week, which has dried out the vegetation completely. EFE
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