Greek firefighters are battling a wildfire for a second day near two Athens suburbs.
Firefighters operate during a wildfire in Voula suburb, in southern Athens, Greece, Saturday, June 4, 2022. A combination of hot, dry weather and strong winds makes Greece vulnerable to wildfire outbreaks every summer. Greek firefighters on Sunday were battling a wildfire for a second day near two Athens suburbs.
Authorities said that while the blaze has abated, it's still ongoing. No official damage estimate was available and would be done once the fire is over, officials said. The fire started in the early afternoon Saturday. According to Deputy Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas, the first fire engines were on the spot 12 minutes after the alarm was given and, eight minutes later, firefighting planes and helicopters, 17 in total, lifted off to join the efforts.
Hot and dry weather, combined with frequent high winds, make Greece especially vulnerable to wildfires during summer.