"The fire is uncontrollable", alarmed on the radio Skai Yannis Kalafatelis, the mayor of Dionysos, one of the localities affected by the fire.
Fanned by strong winds, the forest fire broke out this Tuesday morning at the foot of Mount Penteli, in the northern suburbs of Athens.
The disaster now threatens homes.
A total of 74 firefighters are mobilized, supported by five helicopters and five water bombers.
Here again, the wind blowing at 38 km / h complicates operations, according to firefighters and local authorities.
The fire affected precisely the localities of Stamata, Rodopoli and Dionysos, north of Athens, and extended over several kilometers.
Smoke and pungent smells of burning are noticeable from the center of Athens, where temperatures are close to 38 ° C.
However "nobody is in danger", reassured on Skaï TV the spokesman of the firefighters, Vassilis Vathrakoyannis.
“It started in Stamata and spread to Rodopoli.
Surely there is damage.
We sent important forces to fight against the flames ”, underlined Yorgos Patoulis, the prefect of the Attica region.
"Be prepared" for exfiltration
Although traffic has been interrupted on several sections of the motorway, no evacuation order has been given for the moment.
However, the authorities sent alert messages on cell phones to warn the inhabitants of the area, asking them to "stand ready to follow instructions".
Some have already left their homes.
The municipalities at the foot of Mount Penteli are regularly affected by forest fires in summer.
In July 2018, a fire that started from a slope of the mountain killed 102 people in the coastal town of Mati, near Athens.
Last May, it was the protected area of the Geraneia mountain range that caught fire.