We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
LAST UPDATE | 13 Aug 2024
THE EU’S CIVIL protection unit is set to join firefighters in Greece who are battling devastating wildfires just north of Athens for a third straight day.
The fires have forced thousands of people to flee their homes and filled the skies over Athens with toxic smoke.
Fuelled by strong winds, Greece’s worst wildfire this year raced across a parched landscape as it wreaked widespread destruction around the Greek capital.
At least one person has died, a Moldovan woman whose body was found in a burnt out factory, and at least 66 people have been treated for injuries. Five firefighters have also been hurt.
European Commissioner for civil protection and humanitarian aid Janez Lenarčič said yesterday that the EU will send two planes from from Italy, one helicopter from France and hundreds of ground firefighting teams from Romania and Czechia to assist the country.
Yesterday, the Greek Government made a call for international assistance in fighting the fire. Resources and personnel have also come from Serbia and Turkey.
“We stand with Greece as it battles devastating fires,” EU Commission President ursula von der Leyen said yesterday.
This s**t is getting crazy. You can hardly see the sky over #Athens. How does that meme go again? - "This is fine. I'm okay with the events unfolding in #Greece. Everyone stay in the pool and enjoy the view. Ignore that giant #climate fire over just over the hill." #athensfire pic.twitter.com/wy8OpQIdxR
— Peter Dynes (@PGDynes) August 13, 2024
“We are at a better level across the front”, Costas Tsigkas, head of the association of Greek firefighter officers, told state television ERT this morning.
“But conditions again will not be easy. There will be winds from midday onwards” and “every hour that passes will be more difficult”, he said.
The National Observatory said temperatures of up to 38 degrees are expected in Athens today, with winds of up to 39 kilometres per hour.
On the 11th of August, a large wildfire burned out of control in Attica, Greece. The fire has affected at least 10,000 hectares and forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
— Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) August 13, 2024
Read more:https://t.co/VYw2OCmm0H#Φωτιά pic.twitter.com/fJ0oyrQl57
The European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation agency released satellite images of the fire, showing smoke being pushed southwards by the wind in the direction of the capital city.
Some 700 firefighters, backed by 200 fire engines and nine aircraft, are battling the blaze that broke out Sunday afternoon in the town of Varnavas, around 35 kilometres northeast of Athens, the fire department said.
Fanned by strong winds, it grew to a 30-kilometre-long front line of flames more than 25 metres high in places, according to state TV ERT.
Greece’s National Observatory, itself threatened by the wildfire, said yesterday that at least 10,000 hectares had been devastated by the fire.
The mayor of the town of Halandri, Simos Roussos, told ERT state television that he had seen nearly a dozen homes destroyed by the fire there. Numerous businesses, used car and coal yards and paint warehouses were also affected, he said.
“The fire travelled 50 kilometres and changed direction 10 times,” Roussos said.
In nearby Penteli, a helicopter waterbombed huge balls of flame coming from a warehouse containing wood and what is believed to be propane tanks. Locals fled loud explosions, which sent items flying.
The labour ministry has banned outdoor working in areas hit by the fires because so many burned factories contained toxic chemicals.
With much of the capital covered by acrid smoke for two straight days, scientists reported an alarming rise in hazardous airborne particles, particularly from Sunday night to last night.
VIDEO: 🇬🇷 Wildfire threatens Athens as Greek govt appeals for help
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 13, 2024
A massive wildfire in the city's northeast suburbs has forced thousands to flee their homes and sparked a government appeal for international help. At least one person has been killed in the blaze#AFPVertical pic.twitter.com/h3fLqG2qbL
“Never in a million years did I think a fire would come here,” 65-year-old Sakis Morfis told the AFP news agency outside his gutted home in Vrilissia.
“We’re without clothes, money, everything was burned inside,” he said.
Yesterday, three hospitals, including a children’s hospital, two monasteries and a children’s home were evacuated.
At least 30 push alerts were sent to mobile phones in the area north of the city centre warning people in several Athens suburbs and settlements to flee.
June and July were the hottest months ever recorded in Greece, which also recorded its warmest winter ever.
An early start to the fire season this year has strained Greece’s firefighting force.
“Firefighters have been working at full tilt for months,” said Nikos Lavranos, head of Greece’s main firefighters’ union.
“They are exhausted.”
Greece’s conservative government has come under attack from the press over its handling of the fire.
“Enough is enough,” thundered the front page of Greece’s top-selling centrist daily Ta Nea. The liberal Kathimerini said the “out of control” inferno “had left huge destruction (and) unanswered questions”.
“Evacuate Maximou,” said the left-wing Efsyn daily, referring to the building housing the prime minister’s office.
Includes reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill, © AFP 2024 and Press Association
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Why is it so hard to do the right thing? There should be complete transparency here.
@Fr.Todd Unctious: the fact Fianna Fáil are in government has a big part in the hiding of history
They were/are the political wing of the Catholic Church and overseen & prolonged the systematic abuse and deaths of children in “care” of the Catholic Church
@Fr.Todd Unctious: I think the problem is, people spoke out on condition of anonymity. We could have total transparency on half the story or no transparency on the full story. A far from ideal situation.
@Liam Ó hAodha: Fianna Fail buried a report into sexual abuse in the 1930′s at the request of the catholic church. It all blew up in their faces in the 1980′s/1990′s. 10,000s of peoples lives destroyed with very few people ever brought to justice for their actions. This was all well know in the 1960′s.
@Tony Harris: Names can be redacted. Happens with FOI requests, no reason why names cannot be blanked out for a published version of the report.
@great gael of Eire: Lets not forget 1994 Fianna Fáil/Labour led by Albert Reynolds, collapsed amid uproar over the revelation that the Fianna Fáil appointed Attorney General’s office had failed to act on extradition applications for serial child abuser Fr Brendan Smyth return to face charges in the 6 counties
Fianna Fáil definitely have form in covering up child abuse by the Catholic Church
@Liam Ó hAodha: and yet ppl believe that they have our health interests at heart with this mess. 2+2=5
Not content with burying them once in unmarked graves the state seeks to bury them a second time.
@Phil O’ Meara: very wrong and hard to understand. Ireland not so nice a place as some like to make it out to be.
Disgusting. The answer to such a horrific time in our history is NOT to keep it secret for a further 30 years!
Open it up. Let the light in. Correct the wrongs.
@LangerDan: completely agree. It’s scandalous that they’re trying to keep it secret. Those poor family members just want answers. Protection of the Catholic Church by the state shouldn’t be happening in this day and age. Or the states protection of itself, as it probably knew what was going on, more likely. Enough is enough. Release the information. Let people start to heal before they’re all gone.
These records and all records should be made available , I believe a museum should be built to educate people on this horrific part of our history. Let it never happen again
Similar to auchwitz!
@Lynn: If these docs were put on wikileaks you can bet your life the govt would go after the person the same way Assange is being persecuted in the UK. For something the public have a right to know.
This truly is scandalous. If some people want to remain anonymous, then redact their names from the publicly available records.
I don’t think people understand how our govt functions. If you get a chance what the TV show Yes Minister. It was made in the UK in the 80′s. There were two moles inside Whitehall who were feeding the story lines to the writers. The scenarios that happen in the episodes were based on true events. You have ministers + advisors working against the civil servants who wanted to keep the status quo. This is how our govt works today.
If these documents were made public they would cause embarrassment to the civil service. As they were implicated in the whole mess. If the documents were buried for 30 years it would allow all those people to die without the truth coming out. Well in actual fact most govt enquiries are cover ups anyway. If we compare this to the Cervical Check scandal we find an enquiry which shows no blame on any govt civil servant but provides a list of recommendations. If this kind of analysis happened in the airline industry we would have air planes falling out the sky everyday and no one getting the blame. So in this way nothing changes in the depts who go about their business keep getting their pay checks and wait to retire on a big fat pension which is the end goal. Cover up and deny and bury the evidence until no one can do anything about it. Its been like this for year and will continue like this for years to come.
@great gael of Eire: That’s a very good summation, with some interesting information on the excellent Yes Minister. Except in Ireland a lot of the time it is easy to assume their are few internal conflicts, just an entire cabal of insiders working together.
This is vile. Absolutely disgusting and coming in under the covid radar. Needs to be addressed straight away
These most certainly should not be sealed,
We’ve hurt victims before and burying these records will hurt them again!
Don’t forget, thanks to the rampant nepotism in Irish politics, many FF and FG TDs daddies and granddaddies were the ones who turned a blind eye to what was going on. This is not being sealed for the benefit of the victims
These records must not be sealed – that would be utterly abhorrent.
They’ve been kept secret for long enough already !!! When will this government just do the right thing.
No no no we cannot let this happen.People need to find their families and get closure.
Utterly reprehensible!
FFG trying to cover their crimes…
If those, directly involved in this horrific period of our history, can’t have access to these records, how can they begin to confront their past, nevermind heal from it.
To see those documents, would also legitimise their identity.
Cover up
The guilty must be protected at all costs it would appear, the abuse of the innocent continues
Who is being protected, what is the reason
This should be available. The truth for something this terrible needs to be told.
Another cover up. for some high ranking official no doubt
What politicians or judges are they covering up for?
Why does this surprise anyone? The state and church have been in cahoots since day dot. Lock them all up and, take their assets and sell it all. Land, art, bank accounts – the lot. Survivors have been treated worse than dirt but this is Ireland, this is what you get. Nothing short of outrageous.
@JustBEERbarry: queue the ‘but the church is so poor and has no assets’ replies. Save it.
Makes you wonder who’s very influential backside is being covered. 30 years, a span of time in which the most culpable will likely have passed on, absolving them of any blame and accountability. What a rancid little country we live in.
Welcome to The Cover Up part ii, the sequel to Holy Catholic Ireland, the horror movie that ran for 90 years…
Wish someone in Aussie land would have adopted That fecker J Delaney….
have your say