Athens wildfire toll surges as Greeks tally tragedy cost.
Raging Greek Wildfire Threatens Attica’s Coastal Resorts
Hundreds of firefighters fought a brutal blaze that turned the olive‑grove scenery of Palaia Fokaia into a nightmarish wasteland of blackened earth and charred homes.
Firestorm’s Bane on the Attica Coast
- Over 200 firefighters battled a raging Friday fire in the rural region of Keratea, some 43 km southeast of Athens.
- The blazes threatened the coastal resorts dotting the Attica coast and drove emergency crews to the brink.
- A howling wind ripped through the settlement on Saturday, spreading dust and the bitter smell of ash from the surrounding hills where embers continued to smolder.
Helicopter and Water Bombers Fight the Flames
Low‑flying helicopters and water bombers weaved through steep terrain to release water onto the remaining blazes and retrieve sea water, as the ground shuddered under the intensity of the operation.
Impact on Greek Landscapes
- Typical bucolic Greek landscapes of olive groves and hamlets were transformed into a dystopia of blackened land.
- Incinerated homes and continuing fires pushed emergency services to the limit.
Keratea Wildfire: A Rural Blaze near Athens
Firebreak and Survivors
In the southern suburbs of Athens, a sudden inferno erupted in the rural villages of Keratea, about 43 kilometres (27 miles) southeast of the capital. The blaze laid waste to one gutted home, its roof caved in and leaving a twisted ruin of warped metal. Mask‑wearing residents trudged back to retrieve whatever belongings survived the inferno.
A Tragedy of Land and Loss
A despondent woman named Dimitria was more fortunate: the flames spared her residence but razed the nearest forest, leaving a desolate landscape of roasted trees and ash. She lamented that “From yesterday night, there were very few reinforcements from the fire brigade.” She described how help arrived after the advancing fire threatened “many houses near the forest.” “My house is OK, but my forest is burned. And that is the pity,” she said, her voice trembling and her eyes welling as she surveyed the damage.
Firefighting Efforts
- b>Firefighters deployed hoses to comb a copse of trees, dousing any embers and preventing re‑ignition.
- b>Scorched twigs and debris crunched under their boots.
- b>“We knew it was dangerous,” the crew noted, acknowledging the peril of the task.
Resilience and Reflection
Observing the chaos from his unscathed house, Kostas Triadis – a 75‑year‑old – expressed relief and gratitude. “Despite the damage to the landscape, I hail the work of firemen and volunteers,” he said. “Otherwise it would be very bad.” He added that the devastated vegetation might regenerate naturally: “It is regenerated by itself, I hope it will be the natural future.”
An Older Forest, a Younger Forest
His wife, Eleni, 71, also weighed in. “Everyone did their utmost to save the area, but the real tragedy is that the forest is lost,” she noted. She recalled the old forest and the danger it had always presented: “It is a very good, small forest, we always knew it was dangerous.”
Summer Heat Ignites Unexpected Coastal Blaze
At seaside eateries, patrons watched as aerial water bombers skimmed the Mediterranean to refill and launch fresh jets at the sudden inferno—an unsettling tableau against a backdrop of balmy sunshine.
Fire Bites Limited Shrubbery, Leaves Trees Resilient
- Short‑grass cutoff in June curbed the blaze’s spread, sparing most trees.
- Local officials marked the event as the area’s first wildfire since settlers vacated their Athens household during summer.
Beachgoers Still Enjoy Splashing, While Emergency Remnants Mar Spectral Scene
- Coastal contrast: the Mediterranean shimmered and beachgoers swam as if nothing unusual had occurred.
- Yet the water‑bomber spectacle remained unmistakably aquatic emergency evidence.
Concluding Outlook
Even as the Mediterranean’s surface seemed calm, the fire’s rapid extinguishment and the aerial water‑bombers’ daring approach limited the disaster’s reach—offering a small, hopeful lesson for coastal fire readiness.
