Thrakomakedones evacuated, fire also heading to Malakassa in northern Attica: Foreigner, Greek arrested over arson suspicion at Pedion Areos, Kryoneri
Youths use tree branches as they battle a wildfire in the area of Tatoi, near Athens, Greece, 06 August 2021. EPA, KOSTAS TSIRONIS
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The fire in northern Attica has been approaching Malakassa, and is still out of control. At the present time, shortly before midnight on Friday, it is burning through a thick forest. Firefighters with heavy machinery are trying to break its progress.
A large fire front is heading to Agios Stefanos, a suburb north of Athens, currently burning the Pefkofito settlement in the north of it, while it has reached the outer edges of Stamata, south of it, the Fire Brigade said on Friday evening. Rodopoli and Stamata are being evacuated.
Firefighters are trying to put it out by ground and air forces, while police is removing residents of the areas and of settlements under an earlier evacuation order.
The front is part of the fire that broke out across from Afidnes, east of Varybobi and west of the national highway. The fire reached the national highway, moved north to Kapandriti and then turned south, nearly reaching the water reservoir of Limni Marathona.
- Other fronts
Three more fronts are raging uncontrollably, at homes in Afidnes, Kryoneri and Ippokratios Politia, all of which have been evacuated.
The community of Thrakomakedones in northern Attica has been ordered to evacuate towards Acharnes via Kimis Avenue, as a fire front that started near Tatoi airport is approaching the area, the Fire Brigade said on Friday evening.
This fire front is also approaching the area of Olympic Village, where firefighters have created a bold patch to try to stop the fire on its tracks.
The alert was sent via the Emergency European number 112.
- Foreigner, Greek arrested over arson suspicion at Pedion Areos, Kryoneri
A foreign national who claimed she is Afghan was arrested at Pedion tou Areos park in Athens on Friday afternoon by police patroling the area after a ban forbidding visits to parks and forests through Greece.
The woman was arrested around 17:30, a few minutes after a fire broke out in the park on the side facing Alexandras Avenue. It was put out immediately by the Fire Brigade.
She was carrying two lighters, petrol and flammable materials, as well as a gas cannister to fill lighters.
Police said she was emotionally disturbed. She was led initially to the Kypseli police station and from there to the investigators of the Fire Brigade.
- Kryoneri suspect
Meanwhile, a 43-year-old Greek who was arrested in the area of Kryoneri, east of Varybobi where the largest fire still burns, is being led before the prosecutor on suspicion of arson.
State security drew up a file charging arson in a forest, possession of drugs, and violation of the law on flares.
The man was found at Mantri in Kryoneri on Friday morning, riding a motorcycle without license plates in an area that is inaccessible to residents. Volunteer firefighters pointed him out to authorities because of a fire breaking out nearby without any discernible casue.
He was arrested by state security and told them he was in the area to help fight the fire. When his house was searched, police found matches, lighters, flammable material and walnut shells, which police said can be used to kindle a fire without leaving traces. They also found a small amount of unprocessed cannabis.
Security found out that he is involved in another two rekindles of the fire in Kryoneri, the first nearly half an hour after midnight on August 4 at the Kryoneri cemetery, and the second at 00:15 at the Mantri area ravine in the same town on Friday (today).