A wildfire erupted in the mountainous forest area near Athens on Saturday, June 29, posing a threat to the nearby nature reserve on Mount Parnitha, located about 20 km (12 miles) north of the Greek capital.
As per Reuters, gale-force winds, with gusts exceeding 100 km per hour (62 mph), fueled the fire, making it difficult to control.
A thick cloud of smoke was visible over Athens, but authorities reported that no homes were threatened.
As per the outlet, dozens of firefighters worked tirelessly to prevent the wildfire from spreading to the nature reserve.
About 80 firefighters, assisted by 12 water-carrying planes, battled the blaze, with an additional 100 firefighters expected to join the efforts.
However, the efforts were hampered by strong winds, which were not expected to weaken before Sunday.
Meanwhile, authorities advised people to stay out of forest areas due to hot, windy conditions across much of the country, with around 40 landscape fires reported since early Saturday morning.
Moreover, wildfires are common in Greece, but they have become more severe in recent years due to hotter, drier, and windier summers, which scientists link to climate change.
In response to last summer's deadly forest fires and the hottest winter on record, Greece implemented a new strategy that includes deploying extra fire trucks to new blazes, speeding up air support, and clearing forests.
