Wildfire Forces Residents of Greece’s Varnava to Flee

A wildfire on Sunday forced the residents of the village of Varnava near Athens to evacuate their homes, as high temperatures and strong winds spread the fire and created smoke clouds. Greek media reported that over 250 firefighters, supported by 12 water-bombing planes and seven helicopters, are battling the blaze which started earlier today and quickly reached Varnava, located 35 kilometers north of Athens. Greek authorities have urged residents to evacuate five neighboring areas, as the 25 meter-high flames consumed forests, with dense brown smoke covering most of Athens, reaching the island of Aegina south of the capital. Several other regions in Greece are under high alert in anticipation of the risk of fires on Sunday and Monday. This summer, hundreds of forest fires have taken place across Greece, which has seen record temperatures in June and July following the warmest winter the country has experienced. Source: Qatar News Agency