Second Night of Attica Firefighting – Homes, Businesses, Over 100,000 Acres Burned

For the second night, the fire brigade will battle flames on the fronts of Attica, where fires have exceeded 100.

The fire has burned more than 100,000 acres, according to the weather service, burning homes and businesses and causing extensive damage. Firefighters have been working extra hard to save people’s property.

As it became known earlier today, panic broke out in Chalandri when explosions were heard from a building materials factory, while a timber factory burned down in Gerakas.

702 firefighters, 27 forest teams, 199 vehicles and volunteers are working to extinguish the fires, with the help of all civil protection agencies.

Airdrops were carried out periodically by 35 air vehicles, including 17 planes and 18 helicopters, three of which were for coordination.

The aircraft will take off again at first light.

Meteorology: The fire has destroyed about 100 thousand acres

Satellite data from the European Sentinel-2 satellite, which passed over our country on Monday morning, August 12, 2024, and processed by meteo.gr / EAA, show in high resolution the large area affected by forest fires as well as active fronts that are almost approaching the residential area of ​​the basin. As of Monday afternoon, the fire has covered about 100,000 acres.

Our country sent a request for assistance to the European Civil Protection Mechanism, which was accepted. France responded by sending a helicopter, which is expected to arrive today, Italy by sending two planes, which are expected to arrive tomorrow, and the Czech Republic by sending 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles, including nine water tankers, which are expected to arrive tomorrow.

Fire in Attica: Armed Forces also helping

By providing personnel and means and making them active wherever they are called upon, in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the Armed Forces are helping to deal with the large fire in Attica.

The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias and the Deputy Minister Yiannis Kefalogiannis are present at the Ministry of National Defence since the morning to coordinate the deployment of the personnel and means of the Armed Forces, and in the General Staff concerned, the Chief of the General Staff Dimitrios Houpis, the Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief of the Navy Vice-General Dimitrios Eleftherios Kataras, and the Head of the GEA, Vice-Captain Dimosthenis Grigoriadis.

As it became known from the Ministry of National Defense, in addition to the availability of the Air Force’s aerial firefighting fleet (CL -215/415 CANADAIR firefighting aircraft and CH – 47D CHINOOK helicopters), the Department of Construction and Natural Disaster Response in Attica (DIKAFKA) – recently created in the context of the “Agenda 2030” – is assisting on the instructions of its commander, Lieutenant General Michael Kloufas.

The DIKAFKA Commander is in constant contact from the field with the Unified Coordination Centre for Operations and Crisis Management of the Ministry of Climate Crises and Civil Protection, through the liaison officer.

Among other things, it is reported that DIKAFKA, using heavy vehicles (“road graders”), created in a short period of time last night and in the morning hours today fire zones in Attica, such as the one created around 2 a.m. today in Dionysos and helped prevent the fire from spreading to the residential area.

It is worth noting that the Armed Forces are also participating in the response to the fire in Attica with two teams of “Deucalion” and six teams of “Xenocrates”.

Also, as of today, Decafka is helping to evacuate residential areas with a number of buses and two-wheelers, while strengthening its patrols in high-risk areas to prevent and detect any new fires in a timely manner.

In total, the Armed Forces deployed 422 personnel and 211 vehicles to patrol mountainous areas throughout Greek territory, while guarding seven outposts with 25 personnel and 13 vehicles.