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A wildfire has broken out in a forested area in Aspropyrgos, west of Athens, prompting evacuation alerts and a major firefighting response.
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According to the fire service, the blaze broke out at around 15:29 in forest land on the slopes of Mount Poikilo, in the Aspropyrgos area, and is moving south.
Firefighting forces have been reinforced. A total of 108 firefighters are operating at the scene with six ground teams from the 1st EMODE special wildfire unit and 27 vehicles. Five aircraft and six helicopters have also been deployed for aerial firefighting, one of them for coordination.
Water tankers from the municipalities of Aspropyrgos, Fyli, Petroupoli and Peristeri are also assisting. In total, two messages have been issued via the 112 emergency alert system: the first at 16:03 informing people in the wider area about the fire, and the second at 16:22 calling on those in Afaia Haidariou and Ano Dasos Haidariou to move towards Peristeri via Athinon Avenue.
An earlier alert issued via the 112 emergency alert system had called on people in the wider area to remain on standby.
The fire service said the area is classified as Category 4 today, indicating a very high risk of wildfires, while the Western Attica Arson Crimes Investigation Unit has been activated to investigate the cause of the blaze.
Throughout the operation, the Fire Service’s Operations Coordination Centre (ESKEDIK) has been receiving continuous imagery from a drone equipped with thermal and optical cameras.