Strong Winds Stop Greek Firefighting Planes as Wildfire Forces Evacuations Near Athens

On August 2, powerful winds stopped Greek firefighting planes from scooping seawater to drop on flames — their fastest firefighting method. A wildfire burning through forested mountains west of Athens forced three communities to evacuate, including Porto Germeno. Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were sent, but winds kept planes grounded, letting fire spread through western Attica.