A firefighting helicopter drops water over a wildfire on Mount Kithairon near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, Monday. [Petros Giannakouris/AP]
Firefighters continued battling a major wildfire in western Attica on Monday, working to contain flare-ups in the areas of Agios Nektarios and Kryo Pigadi as rising temperatures fueled renewed outbreaks.
The northern section of the fire showed temporary signs of easing earlier in the day, but rising temperatures triggered new flare-ups, keeping the threat to nearby settlements high, according to Kostas Tsigas, head of the fire brigade officers association.
Fire Department spokesman Ioannis Artopios said the main active fronts remained in Kandili and Agia Skepi, areas in the mountainous part of western Attica near the coastal town of Nea Peramos, west of Athens.
An emergency alert was sent overnight through the 112 system ordering residents in Agia Skepi, Kandili and Botsika to evacuate toward Nea Peramos. Ground crews worked throughout the night, using heavy machinery to create firebreaks and slow the spread of the blaze.
