Greece grappling with ‘extremely dangerous’ wildfires. What to know

A spokesperson for Global Affairs told Global News that Canadians should take 'normal security precautions in Greece' amid the wildfires.

For over 20 hours, firefighters in Greece have been working to bring “extremely dangerous” wildfires under control, the country’s climate minister said on Monday.

“Since yesterday afternoon, the residents of northeastern Attica have been tested by an extremely dangerous fire with which we have been fighting for over 20 hours under dramatic conditions,” Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias said in a statement posted in Greek.

Kikilias said strong winds and prolonged drought conditions have made the wildfires particularly difficult to fight.

“At the moment, a fierce battle is being fought on two fronts: One is in the Kallietechnopolis area and the other is in the Grammatik area,” he said.

A major forest fire was raging out of control on the northern fringes of the Greek capital Monday, triggering numerous evacuations of Athens suburbs and outlying areas as strong, swirling winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes.

Faced with a massive, fast-moving blaze that sent flames towering at times to heights of over 25 metres, Greece asked for assistance from other countries, activating Europe’s mutual civil protection mechanism.

The fire, which began Sunday afternoon, burned homes and sent a blanket of smoke and ash over central Athens, where the smell of burning lingered in the air. Power cuts were reported in several parts of the capital and also affected traffic lights at major junctions in the centre.

The wildfire was racing through pine forests left tinder-dry by repeated heat waves this summer. June and July of this year were the hottest months ever recorded in Greece, which also recorded its warmest winter ever.