VIDEO: Greece raises red alert as wildfires approach Athens
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- Greece issues highest wildfire alert near Athens.
- Hundreds of firefighters battle spreading blazes.
- Sea evacuations rescue more than 200 people.
- Strong winds fuel fires across southern Greece.
Exclusive footage captured on the ground by Roya News documented the scale of the fires approaching Athens, highlighting intensive aerial drops by specialized firefighting aircraft as crews work around the clock to contain the flames.
Greek authorities issued emergency red alerts for the Greater Athens area, Attica, and Evia on Saturday as aggressive wildfires fueled by storm-force winds edged closer to the capital, triggering mass evacuations and widespread emergency responses.
Sea evacuations deployed
In the Voiotia region, more than 300 firefighters backed by 92 fire engines, heavy equipment, and specialized aircraft focused efforts on containing a massive blaze threatening local communities.
Rapidly changing wind conditions forced authorities to launch emergency sea operations. Coast guard patrol boats and a fire service vessel evacuated more than 200 people by sea from the coastal town of Agios Vasileios, located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Athens, along with 12 individuals trapped on the beach at Porto Germeno.
Overnight firefighting operations remained active across multiple fronts, including the Argolida and Arta regions, following a temporary lull in temperatures earlier in the week.
The sudden escalation forms part of a severe summer wildfire surge impacting Southern Europe. Record heatwaves and prolonged rainfall deficits have ignited blazes across parts of France and Spain, destroying rural villages and displacing hundreds of thousands of residents and holidaymakers across the Mediterranean region.
