Wolf's Hill in Athens. Photo: Shutterstock The municipality of the Greek capital is entering special fire preparedness, following the extreme weather conditions expected tomorrow, Thursday, August 13, a combination of high temperatures and strong winds. The Attica region is at the highest risk level at Category 5.
As part of the municipality's preparations, Lycabettus Hill ("Wolves' Hill") will be closed starting at midnight, and Filopappos Hill, which is already closed, will remain closed until further notice. The ban includes the entry of visitors and vehicles, as well as staying and operating on the hills.
At the same time, all Athens municipality services will be placed on heightened alert. Municipal cleaning and gardening teams will be placed on alert, while the municipal police will increase patrols throughout the city.
The municipality will also operate drones equipped with thermal cameras, which will scan the city's central vegetation areas and detect unusual changes in temperature that could indicate the development of a fire.
The municipal police operations center will operate 24 hours a day, with the aim of providing information and assistance to the fire department and other authorities if necessary. The municipality's water tankers will also be on standby.
The municipality is calling on residents to avoid any work in an open area in the coming days that could cause a fire, including the use of open fire, work that creates sparks, welding, cutting metals with a disc, and any other dangerous activity.
As you may recall, in recent weeks Athens has been dealing with powerful fires on several islands and also in the central districts.