A catastrophic wildfire, fanned by gale-force winds and record temperatures, is raging uncontrollably through the outskirts of Athens, forcing thousands to flee their homes and prompting an international response. Downing Street confirmed this morning that a specialist team of British firefighters has been deployed to aid Greek authorities, marking one of the largest overseas firefighting operations in recent years.
The blaze, which began in the early hours of Tuesday near the village of Vilia, some 60 kilometres northwest of the capital, has already consumed over 10,000 acres of parched forest and scrubland. Thick plumes of smoke have turned the sky over Athens an apocalyptic orange, with ash raining down on the Acropolis. Residents in the northern suburbs of Nea Erythraia and Kifissia have been told to evacuate as the fire front advances at terrifying speed, leaping from ridge to ridge driven by winds of up to 80 kilometres per hour.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece is facing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions. “The conditions are biblical,” he said in a televised address. “The state is doing everything possible, but the forces of nature are overwhelming. We are grateful to our allies who are sending help without hesitation.”
Britain has answered that call. A team of 75 firefighters and command officers from the National Fire Chiefs Council, equipped with 25 fire engines and specialist pumping equipment, departed from Stansted Airport this morning. They are expected to be on the ground within hours, working alongside Greek, French, Italian and Spanish crews already battling the blaze. The deployment is part of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, but the UK’s involvement is notable given its departure from the EU. Sources say this is a bilateral agreement activated under a special memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year.
For the people on the ground, there is a sense of desperate déjà vu. Greece was devastated by wildfires in 2018 and again in 2021, yet the government has been criticised for failing to adequately bolster fire prevention infrastructure. “Every summer it is the same story,” said Anna Papadopoulos, a 54-year-old teacher from the village of Dervenochoria, speaking by phone as she fled with her two children. “We are afraid. Where do we go? Everything is burning.”
British firefighter Maria Lopez, a crew commander from Kent, said her team was ready for the challenge. “We have trained for exactly these conditions: dry, hot, and treacherous. Our role is to protect lives and property, but also to relieve the exhausted Greek crews. They have been going non-stop for days.”
The economic cost is already mounting. Greece’s tourism sector, a crucial pillar of its economy, is bracing for cancellations. The Athens International Airport remains open, but flights to several islands have been disrupted. The British Foreign Office has updated its travel advice, urging holidaymakers to avoid areas within 50 kilometres of the fire zone and to monitor local guidance.
Back in London, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK would provide any further assistance requested. “Our thoughts are with the Greek people. This is a humanitarian disaster, and we will not step back from our responsibilities,” he said.
But for the families huddled in evacuation centres or sleeping in cars on the outskirts of the burning city, the immediate question is not diplomacy; it is whether their homes will still be standing by morning.
