‘Never seen a fire like this’: Thousands flee as Athens battles major wildfires

Nesmith said she had flown into Greece on Sunday, the day the wildfire broke out in the village of Varnavas, about 20 miles north of Athens.

“Flying into the airport, we couldn’t believe all the smoke,” she said.

At least one person has died since the fires broke out. On Monday, a woman’s body was found inside a building in the town of Vrilissia, further south, according to Reuters. Others have been treated for burns and smoke inhalation.

So far, the fire has prompted several towns northeast of Athens to issue evacuation orders and transform hotels into shelters for the displaced. Officials said first responders had to carry out several rescue operations to save residents who had become trapped after refusing to leave their homes.

It is unclear exactly what caused the wildfire, but Vassilis Kikilias, Greece’s minister for climate crisis and civil protection, said firefighters responded within minutes to the initial fire Sunday. Even with a rapid operation response, though, he said “extreme conditions” including heavy winds and a prolonged drought had worsened the fire’s spread.

As the danger spread, Greece implored fellow European Union members to help respond to the blaze.

“We stand with Greece as it battles devastating fires,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday in a statement on X.

She also said that the E.U. was sending support from its rescEU fleet — an E.U.-funded program that responds to disasters and emerging risks, with at least two planes from Italy, a helicopter from France and firefighting teams from Czechia and Romania all dispatched.

Kikilias said Tuesday that the flames had been reduced to scattered hot spots, with no “active front” thanks to the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and first responders.

In an online statement, he said that more than 700 firefighters have helped to battle the blaze, with the support of 27 forest commando teams and 35 aircraft and helicopters.

While wildfires are common during the summertime in Greece, climate scientists have warned that unusually hot and dry weather connected to climate change can make fires more likely to ignite and spread.

Greece this year experienced its hottest June and July on record.

Satellite imagery captured by the E.U.’s space program highlighted the spread of the wildfire, which the program said Tuesday appears to cover at least 39 square miles.

The E.U.’s Copernicus Earth observation program said the smoke cloud from the wildfires extends more than 185 miles southwest toward Libya and covers the eastern part of Athens.

One resident of Stamata, an Athens suburb, said she felt more should have been done to prepare for the possibilities of wildfires this summer.

“Every year, we know there is risk,” 30-year-old Natasa, who declined to provide her last name, told NBC News. “Why can’t the operations be more pre-emptive and organized?”

Maria Sidiropoulou reported from Athens, and Chantal Da Silva from London.