Fire burned through suburbs north of Athens early on Sunday, destroying homes and forcing thousands to flee in nighttime evacuations, fire service and local officials said.
Authorities announced they were evacuating the suburb of Agios Stefanos, 23 kilometers northeast of Athens, as flames closed in on the town center. Low-flying planes were seen pouring water on burning houses.
"I call on all residents to follow the instructions of the police as to where they will go," an emotional Agios Stefanos deputy mayor Panayiotis Bitakos told Skai TV. "We had been begging the authorities since early in the morning to send forces ... It is too late now. Too late."
Shortly after 1030 GMT, police with loudspeakers directed the suburb's nearly 10,000 residents to leave immediately on the main road to Athens. Panicked residents gathered at the town's main square while others tried desperately to save their houses, using hoses, buckets and even tree branches to beat the flames.
Firefighting planes and helicopters resumed operations at dawn but, with gale force winds driving the flames, the spread of the fire has not been checked. TV images showed two airplanes and two helicopters pouring water on a burning pine forest outside Agios Stefanos and the fire re-igniting within seconds of their departure.