The fire department is dealing with scattered outbreaks and active fronts in Dioni, Gerakas, Pallini and Anthousa.
As reported by the press representative of the Fire Department, deputy fire chief Ioannis Artopios from the National Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management in Marousi, emphasis is placed on the fronts that are on the south-west side of the fire, on the borders with Attiki Street, near the Athens Transit Bus facility and south-east, also on the border with Attiki street, near the facilities of VIANEX pharma.
“At the same time, great efforts are being made to protect the entire urban fabric that is within the perimeter of the fire,” added Mr. Artopios.
Read also: Fire in Penteli: Stormy winds are a nightmare making firefighting from the air a gamble
All forces into the fray
A total of 485 firefighters are operating, with 28 groups of detachment on foot and 120 vehicles, while the Romanian firefighters also remain in the field.
At the same time, the mobile operational center “OLYMPOS” has been made available for the coordination of forces, while the real-time mapping of the fire is constantly available from drones deployed by the Fire Brigade.
Aerial firefighting means, already operating, include 5 aircraft and 4 helicopters, one of which is for aerial coordination, while another 4 aircraft and 3 helicopters have been mobilized.
Also, the assistance of numerous officers of the Hellenic Armed Forces General Staff, the Forestry Service, EKAV ambulances, local agencies and police, which has 626 police officers with 232 vehicles, mainly to facilitate the safe movement of citizens, their removal to a safe place, and the safeguarding of their property.
The Prime Minister at the Crisis Management Center
The meetings at the Crisis Management Center are continuous, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Stylianidis and the entire leadership of the ministry, are in constant communication with the Ministries of Health, Interior and Citizen Protection.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was also at the scene early in the morning, participating in a meeting with officials managing the blaze.
Elderly man commits suicide after fire consumes home
An 84-year-old man decided to end his life after seeing his house, in Penteli, destroyed by the fire.
According to information, the body of the unfortunate man was found in the morning by the police forces who were in the area, while an EKAV ambulance is also at the scene to retrieve his body.
Winds in the next few hours
The meteorological conditions are not conducive for optimism, with the director of national weather service EMY, Theodoros Kolidas, mentioning in his post that the winds will continue to be strong.
Specifically, the director of the National Weather Service reports on Twitter: “The average intensity of the winds at night may not exceed 5 to 6 Beaufort, however wind gusts will reach 7-8 Beaufort. In other words, the conditions will continue to be difficult in the evening, while before dawn they will strengthen.”
Penteli: The smoke traveled up to 400 kilometers away
The fire that has been burning since Tuesday afternoon in the wider area of Penteli has already caused incalculable damage while it continues to burn with undiminished intensity.
A satellite image released by the Meteo site of the National Observatory shows the smoke reaching Kythera and approaching Crete.
Specifically, an optical satellite image received and processed by the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr from the European satellite METEOSAT-11 shows the smoke of the Penteli forest fire to have been carried by the strong north and north-east winds at least 400 kilometers south-southwest towards the sea of Kythira and the Southwest Cretan Sea on Wednesday morning (20.07.2022 07:40).
It is noted that earlier meteo announced that winds of 7 Beaufort have been blowing in the area of Penteli since the morning with gusts exceeding 100 km/h.
Until Wednesday morning, the active fronts of the fire can be found in Gerakas, Anthousa, Pallini, Dioni as well as on Marathonos Avenue.
Latest News
Deadline for Postal Vote Registration Expires on Mon.
More than 157,000 Greek citizens had registered on the relevant online platform so far
Orthodox Palm Sunday Today; Shops Open in Greater Athens-Piraeus Area
Orthodox Holy Week begins on Monday, April 29, and ends on Sunday, Easter Sunday or Great and Holy Pascha (May 5)
Greek Retailers Remain Optimistic About Easter Shoppers’ Turnout
While stores are expected to be open on Sunday, April 28, the majority of Easter shoppers will likely do their shopping during the Holy Week, following the deposit of Easter bonuses
Europeche: Greek Apricot Production Recovers
Europeche forecasts the production will bounce back despite a slight decrease in varieties attributed to high winter temperatures
Bank of Greece (BoG): Business-Household Deposits Up 1,675bln in March 2024
In March 2024, the monthly net flow of credit to the general government was negative by 469 million euros
FT: Greece’s Economic Rebound a Balance of Growth and Poverty
Eurostat data revealed a significant 10.8% drop in Greek public debt relative to GDP in 2023, alongside a 2% economic expansion, outpacing Germany's performance.
Lavrio Port Authority Next Up for Privatization
A deadline for the submission of expressions of interest is May 14, 2024
Eurostat: Greece Records Largest Drop in Natural Gas Prices in 2nd Half of 2023
The price of electricity and natural gas in Europe was down following a substantial surge that began before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and peaked in 2022
GEK TERNA Still Considers Leveraging Concessions Portfolio as Financial Tool
President and CEO of Gek Terna George Peristeris explained the company's plans on Tuesday on the sidelines of the inauguration of sections of Greece's E65 highway
NielsenIQ: 3% Supermarket Revenue Increase in Q1
Private label products are gaining traction, comprising 25.4% of shopping basket shares, up from 24.7%