Greece: Authorities evacuate residential areas near Keratea due to wildfire September 9

Event

A wildfire led to a boarding school and six residential areas being evacuated near the town of Keratea (East Attica) on Wednesday, September 9. The settlement of Feriza and five nearby residential areas were evacuated, as well as around 30 people from the school. The area is around 45 km (28 mi) southeast of Athens. The fire broke out around 12:00 (local time) and was fanned by strong winds. Over a hundred firefighters are attempting to tackle the blaze, and there are unconfirmed reports of damage to property. A separate fire was reported on Wednesday near Nea Makri (East Attica), northeast of Athens.

Further spread of the fires is possible in the near term. An emergency response presence and localized transportation disruptions, namely road closures, should be anticipated in the affected areas.

Context

Wildfires are a regular occurrence in Greece over the dry summer months. The fires can spread quickly and have caused fatalities and widespread devastation to property and wildfire in previous years. Temperatures are currently higher than usual for this time of year in many areas and authorities have issued warnings over the risk of wildfires.

Advice

Those in the vicinity of the fires are advised to monitor the situation, avoid the area, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities, including evacuation orders.