Major fire breaks out in Penteli: houses are burning in Drafi – an evacuation order is in place (video)

A major fire started this afternoon in the capital Pendeli area. It is reported that two high fronts of fire are visible above the monastery of Pantokratoros.

At 18:45, from number 112, a message was sent to residents about the evacuation from the village of Drafi to Pallini.

The fire started at about 17:00 and is rapidly moving north of Antusa towards the Penteli mountain range, while the fire has engulfed the forest area above Drafi (north side of Drafi – Vayati region).

The fire brigade forces had to face two fronts of fire: one front that is moving slowly towards the mountain, and the second (the most difficult one, which is moving south towards Drafi – Nea Penteli.

The fire brigade reports that 420 firefighters in 22 vehicles, 5 brigades of pedestrian units, including 28 Romanian firefighters, 11 aircraft and 5 helicopters, have been deployed to fight the fire.

Fire department spokesman Giannis Artopios told ERT:This is a complex fire. We will do our best to stop him. Aerial fire extinguishers will operate until 9 pm.”

More than 200 firefighters and equipment from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Romania, Norway and Finland are currently on standby during the hottest months of July and August in Greece.

Last year, wildfires ravaged about 300,000 acres (121,000 hectares) of forest and bushland in different parts of Greece as the country experienced its worst heat wave in 30 years.