Thousands of residents are being evacuated from their homes as a huge wildfire continues to rage north of Athens, with flames reaching 25m (80ft) high.
The Marathon Historic Site is one of the areas where people are being evacuated to safety by rescue workers.
Houses and real estate in towns near Varnavas is on fire, according to the fire department. Firefighters are also evacuating people trapped in the flames in a convoy of 20 to 25 vehicles trying to escape the area.
Forty fires have broken out in Greece since Saturday afternoon and firefighters are still battling seven.
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias warned that the extremely dangerous weather will continue. Greece just experienced its hottest June and July on record. recorded.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned to Athens on Sunday, cutting short his vacation to deal with the crisis.
In Varnavas, a forest fire that broke out on Sunday afternoon had burned 100 square kilometres of land by 19:00 BST.
Residents of Varnavas and Grammatiko have been instructed to evacuate following a notification from the national emergency hotline.
Residents of the historic town of Marathon were asked to evacuate towards the beach town of Nea Makri.
Fire Brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said the fire quickly spread into a large fire fueled by winds. up to 8 Beaufort (39-46 mph).
“We appeal to all residents in the area. For their own safety and because the fire is spreading rapidly, it is imperative that they follow the instructions of the authorities,” said Mr Vathrakogiannis.
“The fire is now moving towards Marathon Lake with reinforcements being added, focusing on the flanks and dealing with flames that are at times over 25 metres high,” he added.
A force of 165 firefighters, with nine foot firefighting teams, along with 30 vehicles, seven firefighting planes and five helicopters were deployed to extinguish the blaze.
Strong winds have greatly hampered the firefighting efforts of aircraft involved in the operation, and the fight against the fire is expected to last throughout the night as winds are expected to remain very strong.
Medical centers and hospitals in Athens remained on alert Sunday evening, with parts of the capital shrouded in a brown haze.
