Thousands evacuated in Greece as wildfires approach Athens | BBC News

Thousands of residents are being evacuated from their homes as a large wildfire is spreading towards Athens in Greece, with some flames leaping as high as 25m (80ft).

The historic site of Marathon is among the areas where residents are being moved to safety by the emergency services.

Houses and properties in the nearby town of Varnavas were burning, according to the fire brigade.

Forty fires have broken out in Greece since Saturday afternoon with firefighters still battling seven.

More than 500 firefighters and 150 vehicles have been deployed to help put out the flames.

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48 comments

  3. Is it arson? I lived in Greece for 15 years in the Ionian. In Lefkada. A few years on a boat and then on land. I remember seeing small planes flying low into the bay to scoop up sea water to use for fires. Ionian has more rainfall so not so many fires 🔥. It is often arson, so agricultural land gets cleared and can be used for commercial purposes

  4. With all the advances in technology, NO ONE has come up with a better way to FIGHT THESE wildfires!!!! I wish someone with funds and engineers come up with a better method.

  11. ARE YOU SURE ALMIGHTY GOD IS NOT MAD AT GREECE FOR LETTING FRANCE USE THERE NATION OF 2,800 YEARS AGO TO CLOSE DOWN THE OLYMPIC YESTERDAY WHICH WAS COMPLETE AND ABSOLUTELY SATANIC IN THE SITE OF ALMIGHTY GOD PLEASE GET THIS CLEAR WHAT EVER SATANIC THINGS YOU ALL DO OR EXHIBIT MARK IT THERE IS ALWAYS A VERY BIG PRICE TO PAY SO I BELIEVE THE GREECE NATION IS PAYING THE HEAVY PRICE FOR THAT SATANIC CLOSING CELEBRATION IN FRANCE PERIOD CAUSE IF NOT WHY SHOULD FIRE CONSUME GREECE NATION LESS THAN 24 HRS OF THE OLYMPIC CLOSING EVERY THING IN LIFE HAS A MEANING LASTLY MY WARNING TO THE ENTIRE WORLD STOP MOCKING ALMIGHTY GOD AND GO BACK TO THE BOOK OF LIFE THE BIBLE WITH OUT YOUR BIBLES SERIOUS CALAMITIES WILL BE BEFALLING THE WORLD RESPECT THE CREATOR AND THE MAKER OF THE UNIVERSE PERIOD THE GODS HAVE SPOKEN.

  12. Ahh this is sad. I love Greece. Always terrible to hear about these fires the Greek people and wildlife are going through 😢 I love everything about Greece. Beautiful places, people, food and cats.

  19. The Greek Gov are looking for international help. How about a military force of firefighters, Weapon money being spent on environmental solutions. Oh but what a conspiracy theorist idea to live. Stupid world is its own stupid enemy, things will never change, we are a cancerous infection on this planet and it's ecosystems. FTW

  28. Fuck you BBC. Turned off comments on the pogroms. You will eventually pay for this, even if you get away with it in the short term. You'll see what it's like to commit treason.

  43. This is one of thousands of natural disasters, most due to climate change. It does not seem the leaders of the world are taking climate change seriously enough because of election considerations inside their own countries. This is absolute selfishness.

  44. The British government is very reminiscent of the Nazis, even children who think differently are summoned to court. Freedom of expression is banned. Anyone who expresses their opinion freely can go to prison. If the British government is like the Nazis, that is my opinion even if the British fascists don't like it

  45. If land is designated for agricultural use it can't be built on. Arson happens to clear the land and then it's purpose can be changed, so apartments and hotels get built. They do it in the summer so as not to get caught, they can blame it on an accident or the hot weather. If they committed arson in the winter it wouldn't work, fire would not last so long or spread and rain might stop it. It's well known in Greece that many of these fires are ARSON

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