Alarm bells rang on Monday afternoon (28/7) at the foothills of Mount Hymettus, when a wildfire broke out that, according to initial assessments, had two outbreak points. Thanks to the immediate mobilization of strong Fire Service forces, the fire was brought under control within approximately 20 minutes.
According to ERT, one possible cause was a municipal garage in the municipality of Zografou, while authorities are also examining the possibility that the fire started from a smoke blower used by beekeepers in the area.
The mayor of Papagou-Cholargos, Ilias Apostolopoulos, reported that after the first outbreak at the University Campus, a second outbreak was detected on Zisimopoulou Street in Papagou, quite far from the initial front.
Hymettus fire: No homes threatened – 19 aircraft deployed for suppression
The fire that broke out within the urban area and next to Mount Hymettus, specifically between the Zografou Polytechnic Campus and Attiki Odos highway, was heading towards Papagou, with emergency service 112 sending readiness messages to residents urging them to close doors and windows due to smoke.
The fire service deployed 110 firefighters, five ground teams, 30 vehicles and volunteers to the scene, while 11 aircraft and 8 helicopters took off for aerial firefighting operations. The immediate mobilization prevented the flames from threatening homes and university facilities.
Meanwhile, until 17:00, exits on Attiki Odos highway were closed, specifically on the Hymettus ring road section, as well as on Katechaki Avenue. All roads in the area have now been reopened to traffic.
