Fire in northeast Attica is heading toward Penteli, fire department spokesperson says

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Despite the battle fought by civil protection forces throughout the night, the fire raging in northeast Attica had advanced rapidly and was now moving in the direction of Penteli, having spread over the Penteli mountain range, fire department spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis said in an emergency press briefing early on Monday morning.

He said that messages had been sent for the evacuation of Nea Penteli, Palia Penteli, Drafi, Dioni, Damarasi, Daou Pentelis and Agios Spyridonas, while residents of Anthousa were warned to prepare for a possible evacuation at 5:45. Authorities were also evacuating the Penteli Children’s Hospital and the 414 Military Hospital in the area, he added.

The forces ranged against the fire include 510 firefighters and 16 teams of forest commandos with 152 vehicles and a very large number of volunteers. He said that 29 fire-fighting airplanes and helicopters will take off at first light to also assist the firefighting effort.

Vathrakogiannis said that winds remained strong during the night, creating dangerous situations, and that their intensity was expected to increase in the next few hours, adding that citizens in the areas where the fire is burning must be prepared to carry out the instructions of the authorities.

Meanwhile, a new 112 message was sent just before 6:30 for the evacuation of the Anatoli settlement, with residents told to head toward Nea Makri, while five helicopters were already operating above Anatoli.

1. The traffic police on Monday announced that traffic diversions were set up in the Varnavas, Stamata, Drosia, Dionysos and Penteli areas, due to the fires burning in the northeast Attica. Traffic is being turned back at the following 30 locations:1) Mikrochori Avenue
   2) Grammatiko-Kapandriti road toward Varnavas
   3) Entrance into Varnavas
   4) Marathon Avenue from Megalou Alexandrou, heading toward Lake Marathon
   5) Manta and Kapandriti roads, toward Varnavas
   6) Exit from Grammatiko village
   7) Dionysos Avenue at Anatoli
   8) Dionysos Avenue and Thiseos
   9) Megalou Alexandrou from Agios Stefanos to Marathon
   10) Marathon Avenue and Konstantinoupoleos
   11) Megalou Alexandrou and Makedonias
   12) Megalou Alexandrou and Papanikoli
   13) Drosia-Stamata Avenue and Makariou
   14) Marathon Avenue and Piperopoulou Avenue
   15) Marathon Avenue and Anapafseos
   16) Marathon Avenue and Ehetlou
   17) Dionysos Avenue and Mitropolitou Kydonion
   18) Dionysos Avenue and Kairi Avenue
   19) Dionysos Avenue and Agiou Ioannou
   20) Agios Stefanos junction
   21) Dionysos Avenue and Dimokratias
   22) Dionysos Avenue and Rodon
   23) Grammatiko toward Kaletsi
   24) Grammatiko “My Market” toward Ano Souli
   25) Skoufou and Dionysou
   26) Vasileos Georgiou II and Ippokratous
   27) Kleisthenous and Anapafseos
   28) Penteli Avenue and Anapafseos
   29) Alexandrou Panagouli and Penteli Avenue
   30) Palia Penteli Square

In an announcement on Monday, the Hellenic Police appealed to the general public to avoid going to the areas affected by the wildfires raging in Eastern Attica and to follow the instructions issued by the authorities, for their own safety.

“The Hellenic Police fervently appeal to all citizens to avoid any movement toward the areas affected by fires, as in this way they make the work of the traffic police and fire department forces more difficult.

“In addition, the citizens are urged to strictly follow instructions that are issued for the evacuation of areas and not attempt to return to areas that have already been burned, for their own safety and to facilitate the handling of the situation.”

“The unobstructed movement of fire brigade vehicles is a crucial factor in the fire brigade’s operations to put out the fire,” the announcement said.

Source: ANA-MPA

Fire still raging in Varnavas, with the battle expected to last through the night