Evacuations ordered near Athens as Greek authorities try to contain wildfires

Some 685 firefighters and 32 water-bombing aerial units have been deployed to extinguish the blaze that began Sunday near the town of Varnavas, north of Athens, local authorities said.

Emergency crews have been tackling “an extremely dangerous fire” for more than 20 hours, under “dramatic conditions” exacerbated by strong winds, prolonged drought and impenetrable terrain in dense, unburnt forest, according to the climate crisis and civil protection minister, Vassilis Kikilias.

The blaze showed no sign of subsiding, with 40 flare-ups recorded since the early hours of Monday morning, the fire services said.

Officials have not said how big the fire is, but Greek public broadcaster ERT estimates it exceeds 30 kilometers (about 19 miles).

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Although wildfires are common in Greek summers, climate scientists say that unusually hot and dry weather linked to global warming make the blazes fiercer and more common. Greek authorities have battled dozens of blazes already this summer after enduring its hottest June and July on record.