A new wildfire erupted on Monday morning in the Attica region, located 60 kilometres southeast of Athens, as emergency crews worked to contain the flames. The fire service reported that the blaze in Kouvaras was being fanned by powerful winds exceeding 70 kilometres per hour.
In response to the threat, civil protection authorities issued an evacuation order for the nearby village of Agios Stylianos. The fire service confirmed that a significant operation is underway, involving at least 172 firefighters and approximately 40 vehicles. Aerial support is also being utilized, with two water-bombing aircraft and four helicopters deployed to the scene. An AFP photographer on-site noted that the intensity of the flames appeared to subside just hours after the initial outbreak.
This incident represents the second major wildfire near the Greek capital this summer. A previous fire, which ignited 10 days ago northwest of Athens, took five days to bring under control due to extreme gusts reaching 130 km/h. That fire devastated over 11,000 hectares of farmland and pine forests and resulted in the deaths of two helicopter crew members following a mid-air collision while battling the blaze.
Greece remains on extreme alert, with multiple regions classified as having a very high fire risk. The increasing frequency and intensity of these events are linked by scientists to climate change. The Attica region, in particular, faces heightened vulnerability; experts have noted that between 2017 and 2026, 42 percent of the region's total forest area has been destroyed by 15 major fires.
