Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned to Athens on Sunday night due to the critical situation as a result of the wildfires, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said in response to media questions.
Marinakis said that the Greek PM returned on Sunday night and will be in his office Monday morning.
The news comes as over 250 firefighters, supported by 12 water-dousing aircraft and seven helicopters, responded to a wildfire 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of Athens.
“It surrounded the village in no time at all. The winds are really strong,” stated local resident Katerina Fylaktou to Reuters. “It started from a single point, and suddenly, the whole village was encircled.”
Evacuation alerts were issued for five nearby areas. Thick, brown smoke hung over much of Athens by early evening, reaching as far as the island of Aegina to the south.
This summer has seen hundreds of wildfires erupt across Greece, which is experiencing its hottest June and July after an exceptionally warm winter. Similar patterns are observable throughout the Mediterranean, where scientists attribute the fires to increasingly hot, dry conditions driven by climate change.