On July 23, fires broke out to the west and east of Athens, burning through vegetation dried by soaring temperatures in the days prior. The fire in the picture above took place near Kineta, thirty miles west of Athens. With winds gusting to over 50 mph, the fire grew rapidly. Luckily, the fire burned through mostly forested areas. However, residents living near the coastal resort city of Rafina, ten miles east of Athens, were not so lucky.
In the afternoon of July 23, the same day the Kineta fire was sparked, a fast moving wildfire tore through residential areas near the village of Mati. With narrow roads clogged with cars and fast winds that changed direction often, many people were unable to escape. According to news reports, residents rushed to the shores of the coastal town hoping to evade the flames by jumping into the sea. In the end, more than 80 people lost their lives, and dozens were still missing as of July 26. It was one of the deadliest forest fires in Greece’s history.
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