A huge blaze has spread rapidly to the east of Athens, Tsipras asks for EU help

© Alkis Konstantinidis, Reuters

A huge blaze has spread rapidly to the east of Athens, Tsipras asks for EU help

 The fire on Mount Hymettus, which lies about 15km to the east of the Greek capital, started at around 12pm local time grew massively within the space of half an hour. The fire has now reached houses in the southern suburb of Kareas.

A second fire in Lakonia on the tip of the southern Peloponnese broke out earlier this morning and two villages were evacuated, diverting vital services.

18 fire trucks, two helicopters and 45 firefighters are now operating in Kareas.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is heading to the affected area near Athens.

So far there are no reports of casualties or injuries, except fear of one death. The fear now is if the fire changes direction. Current weather conditions: 33degrees C, Wind N at 29km/h.

Summer wildfires are not unusual in the country. In 2009 a series of massive blazes broke out in Grammatiko, northeast of Athens, spreading quickly towards the suburbs. The fires burned for 4 days before being extinguished, taking with them 60 homes, damaging 150 more. While in 2007, 84 people died and thousands of hectares of forest were destroyed in the Peloponnese and Euboea.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras ask for EU help

One man has died and residents of several villages in southern Greece had to flee their homes due to wildfires raging in the region of Peloponnese, aggravated by strong winds and high temperatures.

Four main fronts of 34 separate forest fires have spread from the island of Evia, northeast of Athens, to the southern Peloponnese on Friday, according to police, Reuters reported. A 58-year-old man died because of respiratory problems, several houses were burnt down and scores had to escape or stay helping firefighters.

"We all need to stay calm," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told reporters, as cited by AFP. He also attributed the outbreak to the“emergency weather conditions.”

Tsipras said that he asked the air force and military forces to help fight the fire, and sought assistance of other EU countries, which could provide with four extra fire-fighting aircraft.
The fire department said that about 300 firefighters with over 100 fire engines, a dozen airplanes and six helicopters were doing their best to prevent the flames from spreading into the capital.

Earlier, four villages located near the town of Monemvasia had to be evacuated due to the raging wildfire.

© Panagiotis Kouros/Eurokinissi , Reuters

"It's hellish right now, there are hundreds of pockets of fire,"Monemvasia Mayor Iraklis Trichilis told Skai television.

Kythira, a popular island destination for tourists, has been left with no power "probably until Sunday," according to Adamantia Koroni, deputy head of a local hoteliers' association.

A resident of the coastal town of Neapoli told AFP about the evacuation of the town, which included two summer camps and a healthcare center, and explained that "We can only see two meters ahead of us."

"Things are very bad," Peloponnese Governor Petros Tatoulis told state television. "The situation is critical. We are working to prevent casualties."

Fire department spokesman Nikos Tsongas warned that “the winds are strong and are not expected to weaken. There could be further damage,” according to AFP.

Summer in Greece often brings wildfires, but the most serious blaze in recent memory occurred in 2007. It killed 77 people, occupying 250,000 hectares in the Peloponnese and on the island of Evia.

Athens fire: Two beekeepers arrested- BBC

Two men have been arrested for accidentally starting a fire that quickly spread on hills near Athens, the city's fire department says.

The fire started near Mount Hymettus, on the outskirts of the Greek capital, on Friday, leading to smoke spreading across the city.

Authorities say two men - a Greek and a Bulgarian - will be brought before a prosecutor.
Greek media reported that the men were beekeepers.

The men, aged 67 and 58, are accused of accidentally spreading a fire.

Tovima newspaper said the fire was started by tobacco, although it is not clear whether the men were smoking or using tobacco as smoker fuel for beehives - an occasional practice among bee-keepers.

The fire threatened homes in three different districts before being brought under control.

On Friday, more than 80 wildfires started in Greece, with the Peloponnese district particularly badly affected.

Greek media reported on Saturday that most of the fires were now under control.