Roberta Aguirre
As of August 2024, wildfires have been raging in Greece, threatening the city of Athens. The fires began on August 10 in forests north of Athens, fuelled by high temperatures, strong winds, and dry conditions. While the airport has not been directly affected, smoke has been seen over the city, and there have been power cuts and road closures. Airlines have not altered their flight schedules or canceled flights, but passengers have been advised to allow extra time for travel to the airport. The situation is ongoing, and authorities are on high alert, with the potential for more fires.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of wildfire outbreak | 10 August 2024 |
| Location of wildfire outbreak | Varnavas, 35km (20-22 miles) north of Athens |
| Cause of wildfire | Unknown, but hot, dry weather and strong winds have been contributing factors |
| Status of Athens Airport | Open, but with possible flight diversions |
| Status of flights to/from Athens | No cancellations or alterations to flight schedules reported |
| Impact on local residents | Evacuation orders, power cuts, road closures, poor air quality |
| International response | France, Moldova, the Czech Republic, Romania, Malta, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Cyprus and Poland have offered to help |
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What You'll Learn
- Athens airport remains open, with no cancellations or disruptions reported
- Airlines are monitoring the situation and have not altered flight schedules
- The airport is north of Athens, and the fires are north of the airport
- Evacuation orders have been issued for suburbs north of Athens
- The fires are fuelled by hot, windy weather, and tinder-dry conditions
Athens airport remains open, with no cancellations or disruptions reported
As of 15 August 2024, Athens Airport remains open, with no cancellations or disruptions reported. However, the situation is being closely monitored by airlines and tour operators, and passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey to the airport due to potential road closures.
Athens and the surrounding areas have been battling wildfires since 10 August, with residents fleeing their homes as the fires spread quickly due to hot, windy weather. The fires have burned trees, houses, and cars, and sent smoke clouds over the city. More than 400 firefighters, backed by volunteers and waterbombing aircraft, are working tirelessly to contain the blazes.
The fires initially started in the forests north of Athens, in the village of Varnavas, and have since spread to other areas, including the ancient town of Marathon, the seaside municipality of Nea Makri, and Mount Pentelicus. The population of Marathon has been evacuated, and at least three hospitals, including a children's hospital, have been evacuated as well.
While the airport remains open and operational, the situation is fluid and can change rapidly. Authorities have not announced a state of emergency in Athens, but the US Embassy in Greece has issued a Natural Disaster Alert, advising US citizens to exercise extreme caution in areas impacted by the wildfires. The fire risk is expected to continue in the coming days, with intense weather conditions predicted until at least Thursday.
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Airlines are monitoring the situation and have not altered flight schedules
As of Thursday, 15 August 2024, airlines have not altered their flight schedules or cancelled flights to or from Athens due to the wildfires. However, they are closely monitoring the situation.
"The main concern is if the fires get any closer to Athens, flights will be affected," said Ronnie Liadis, a Condé Nast Traveler travel specialist with expertise in Greece. "The airport is north of Athens and the fires are north of Athens. Several airlines operate directly into the islands, and Athens can be avoided."
Indeed, the airport is still open, and flights are operating as planned. However, passengers have been advised to allow extra time for their journey to the airport, as there may be road closures in place.
The wildfires, which began on Sunday, 10 or 11 August, in the forests north of Athens, have triggered panic among residents. The fires have been raging out of control on the outskirts of Athens, and the population of Marathon has been evacuated. The fires have been fuelled by hot, windy weather, burning trees, houses, and cars and sending smoke clouds over the city. More than 400 or 700 firefighters, backed by volunteers and waterbombing aircraft, have been battling the blaze.
The Greek authorities have not announced a state of emergency in Athens, and there has been no disruption reported at Athens airports. However, meteorologists have warned that the danger of more wildfires is not over, as intense weather conditions are predicted to continue.
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The airport is north of Athens, and the fires are north of the airport
Athens Airport (IATA: ATH) is located 20km (12mi) to the east of central Athens. The airport is north of Athens, and the fires are north of the airport, in the forests and suburbs of the Greek capital. The village of Varnavas, which is about 35km (20 miles) north of Athens, was also affected by the fires.
The fires were first reported on August 10, after a weekend of high temperatures and strong winds. On August 11, a fast-moving wildfire fuelled by hot, windy weather burned trees, houses, and cars, and sent smoke clouds over Athens. More than 400 firefighters, 16 water-bombing planes, and 13 helicopters were deployed to tackle the blaze. The fire brigade spokesperson, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, described the situation as "dangerous", with the fire spreading between residences.
By August 12, the wildfire had prompted evacuation orders in the suburbs north of Athens. The US Embassy in Greece issued a Natural Disaster Alert, advising US citizens to "exercise extreme caution" in areas impacted by the wildfires. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection announced Very High Fire Risk (Risk Category 4) and Extreme Fire Risk (Risk Category 5) for areas close to Athens.
As of August 15, there were no active fires in the wider Athens region, according to Greece's chief fire brigade spokesperson. However, the main concern is that if the fires get any closer to Athens, flights will be affected. As of the same date, airlines have not altered their flight schedules or canceled flights to or from Athens.
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Evacuation orders have been issued for suburbs north of Athens
Wildfires have been raging through the forests north of Athens since 10 August. The fires have been fuelled by a weekend of consistently high temperatures and strong winds, which have escalated the situation.
Due to the dangerous nature of the fires, evacuation orders have been issued for suburbs north of Athens. Residents of Marathon and several other towns directly north of Athens were ordered to flee to safety. A children's home, children's hospital, military hospital, and two monasteries were also evacuated. Over 250 people were relocated with the assistance of 380 police officers, who helped provide rooms at hotels for evacuees. A sports hall was also opened by authorities for evacuees.
The fire department deployed 285 firefighters to assist 27 teams in tackling the blaze. The Greek authorities have not announced a state of emergency in Athens. However, the US Embassy in Greece issued a Natural Disaster Alert advising US citizens to "exercise extreme caution" in areas impacted by the wildfires.
As of 15 August, airlines have not altered their flight schedules or canceled flights to or from Athens due to the wildfires. The airport is north of Athens, and the fires are also north of the city, so if the fires get any closer, flights will be affected.
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The fires are fuelled by hot, windy weather, and tinder-dry conditions
As of 15 August 2024, airlines have not altered their flight schedules or cancelled flights to or from Athens due to the wildfires. However, the airport has been affected by the fires in other ways. The standard approach for landing aircraft has been to loop around to the south of Athens, over the Saronic Gulf, and land from southwest to northeast. Departing aircraft are taking off normally over the Petalioi Gulf.
The wildfires raging through the forests north of Athens since 10 August have been fuelled by hot, windy weather, and tinder-dry conditions. A weekend of consistently high temperatures and strong winds led to a continuous escalation of the situation. The strong wind is the main problem in the affected areas. The Greek Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said:
> "Since yesterday afternoon, the residents of northeastern Attica have been facing an extremely dangerous wildfire that we have been battling for over 20 hours under dramatic conditions. These challenges are due to the strong winds, prolonged drought, and the very difficult and rugged terrain of dense, unburnt forest."
The high risk of fire is expected to continue in the coming days. The US Embassy in Athens has put out a warning urging travellers to “exercise extreme caution in affected areas”.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 13 August 2024, Athens Airport has not been affected by wildfires. However, there has been a wall of smoke over the city and travellers are advised to allow extra time for their journey to the airport due to potential road closures.
As of 15 August 2024, airlines have not altered their flight schedules or cancelled flights to or from Athens. However, travellers are advised to monitor the situation closely as this may change if the fires move closer to the city.
Wildfires have been raging on the outskirts of Athens since 10 August 2024, fuelled by extreme heat and strong winds. The fires have triggered evacuations in several areas, including hospitals and a children's home. The situation is ongoing and authorities are on high alert.
