Three more areas were being evacuated after the wide spread of the fire in Varybobi eastwards from Mt. Parnitha on Thursday evening.
Kryoneri, Kokkinovrachos, and Afidnes just received an order to evacuate, while Ippokratios Politia and Drossopigi had been evacuated earlier. Residents were warned through 112 European emergency number messages. The three areas’ residents are asked to head toward the Athens-Lamia national road, while Ippokratios Politia were asked to head to Oropos.
Fires have reached Kryoneri and Drossopigi already, north and east of Varybobi respectively, while also heading to Katsimidi and Kokkinovrahos further north.
Firefighters are relying on help by air, as very high temperatures have made it very difficult for ground forces to remain at the fire front. Ten helicopters and 7 airplanes are operating until nightfall. The Russian Beriev airplane is out of operation because it needs maintenance, and will resume on Friday. Another two Swedish aircraft arriving through the RescEU emergency assistance program have been grounded in Poland because of the weather.
Police has stopped traffic on all roads leading to the region.
Emergency power cuts
Meanwhile, the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) warned on Thursday evening of possible scheduled power interruptions in the Attica Region, depending on developments of the fire burning in the area.
IPTO said that the fire has taken out two networks that supply the extra high voltage center of Agios Stefanos, east of Kryoneri, which is one of the key electricity suppliers in Attica.
The power transmission operator explained that it had worked with the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) to draw up a precautionary protection system for the transmission system, and this would incorporate targeted and rolling interruptions of power to households. HEDNO would issue an announcement ahead of time, IPTO said.
Firefighters are focused on preventing the spread of the fire, which has already burned a large swathe of the forest in the past few days. If it crosses over to the other side of Parnitha mountain, it will threaten Ippokratios Politia, which has been evacuated already.
Fire Brigade officials said that the power of the flames have created local wind channels that spread the fire faster.
Source: ANA-MPA