Greece was on high alert Monday night as a massive fire that began Sunday continued burning through the northern suburbs of Athens, forcing the country to formally ask the European Union for help Monday.
"The EU civil protection mechanism was activated upon request of the Greek authorities," European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said in a statement. The request will bring in more firefighters and firefighting equipment.
More than 700 firefighters are already battling the blazes, backed by specialized teams and armed forces personnel.
Greece's fire season arrived early because of June and July heat waves, straining the country's firefighting forces.
"Firefighters have been working at full tilt for months," said Nikos Lavranos, head of Greece's main firefighters' union." They are exhausted."
"The situation remains extremely difficult," said Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a fire brigade spokesperson. "There are continuous flare-ups, constantly creating new outbreaks and spreading rapidly, aided by very strong winds."
Multiple evacuation orders were issued Monday to residents in the suburbs of Athens and surrounding areas as a forest fire that began Sunday rages out of control.
Dry pine forests and strong winds have aided the fire, making it difficult for firefighters to get the blaze under control.
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias described the blaze as an “exceptionally dangerous fire.”
According to officials, the fire is burning primarily on two fronts, with some of the blaze located in hard-to-reach areas on a mountain.
The fire department reportedly deployed 285 firefighters to assist 27 teams in tackling the blaze. A children's home, children's hospital, military hospital and two monasteries were evacuated on Monday, with emergency alerts sent to phones in the area. Multiple homes have been burned, but it is unclear how many.
Additional evacuation orders were issued for Athens’ suburbs, and three hospitals in the city were put on high alert to potentially treat fire-related injuries.
A sports hall was opened by authorities and rooms at hotels were provided to evacuees.
About 380 police officers assisted in the evacuation and helped in relocating over 250 people. Some residents who chose not to leave their homes following evacuation orders later became trapped and had to be rescued by firefighters.
Athens did not entirely escape feeling the effects of the fires as a layer of smoke and ash reached central Athens Monday.
This summer, Greece has experienced its hottest months on record, following the hottest winter ever recorded for the country.
Officials attribute the conditions to climate change, with more frequent and larger fires popping up in the country.
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
