Wildfires near Athens: Damage assessment begins

Firefighters continue to combat smoldering embers and new small fires west of Athens, even as the major wildfires that ravaged the region are now under control. The blazes, which forced an estimated 10,000 residents and tourists to evacuate, are being managed with the help of favorable weather, including minimal wind, according to ERTNews.

As some residents are permitted to return to their homes, the full scale of the devastation to both property and the natural landscape remains difficult to ascertain. Approximately 100 homes have been confirmed burned, primarily in the coastal town of Porto Germeno. The government is preparing for the commencement of reconstruction efforts, with discussions underway for providing temporary accommodation subsidies to those who have lost their homes.

Special assistance packages are also being developed for farmers, businesses, and other installations affected by the fires. However, the environmental toll is a significant concern. The recent fires consumed about 80 square kilometers of forest, bushland, and agricultural areas. This adds to a grim statistic: in the past decade, around 200 square kilometers of forest, equivalent to 42 percent of Attica's forest cover, have been lost to fires, as reported by Naftemporiki.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has convened a crisis meeting to deliberate and initiate measures for rapid aid and recovery. The focus is on assessing the damage to homes and formulating a plan for rebuilding, alongside providing crucial support to those displaced and affected by the disaster.