Firefighters have brought a vegetation fire in the Xiropigado area of Mandra, West Attica, under partial control after flames broke out on Thursday morning.
Emergency authorities dispatched an alert via the 112 system shortly after 10:30 a.m., warning local residents about dense black smoke and instructing them to remain indoors with their doors and windows closed.
Vegetation and Waste Burning
Initial reports indicate that the blaze began under conditions that remain under investigation, burning through low vegetation in Xiropigado. Additional reports noted that accumulated waste and trash at the site had also caught fire, generating heavy black smoke that remained visible across the surrounding district.
The Hellenic Fire Service responded to the scene with 30 firefighters, 12 fire engines, and one specialist team of foot firefighters drawn from the 1st Special Units for Wildfire Operations, known as EMODE.
Emergency Mobilization and Road Closures
Local government authorities provided operational support to the firefighting effort. Water tankers were dispatched by both the Municipality of Mandra-Eidyllia and the neighboring Municipality of Aspropyrgos, while the Regional Unit of West Attica deployed heavy earth-moving machinery to assist crews on the ground.
The emergency response prompted traffic disruptions in the immediate area. Greek police halted vehicle movements at the entrance of the Xiropigado settlement from the junction with the Old National Road connecting Athens and Corinth.
High Risk Index and Arson Investigation
The outbreak occurred on a day when civil protection authorities had placed the region under Category 4 fire risk, indicating a very high danger of wildfire activity across West Attica.
Officers from the West Attica Arson Crimes Investigation Department have been deployed to the scene to examine the site and determine the precise cause of the fire.
