Athens, Greece Is On Fire — Here Are 24 Photos Of The Effects

By boat, car, and on foot, thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate and flee their homes as forest fires rage through northern Athens, Greece.

The fires began earlier this week, and were stoked by record-breaking heat reaching 115.3 degrees Fahrenheit. As firefighters and emergency services work to put out the flames, local government has promised to provide hotel accommodations for those in need.

1.Seeking safety, residents in Afidnes, Greece carried their belongings away from the fires.

2.The local electric company shut down a distributor in the area as a precaution.

3.And firefighters worked to contain flames in a largely wooded area.

4.Water-bombing aircrafts joined efforts to extinguish the fire.

5.And helicopters came to assist as well.

6.All crews worked on containment.

7.The backdrop of all photos show thick clouds of smoke in the sky.

8.The fires reached Varibobi, an Athens suburb.

9.And destroyed homes...

10....larger properties...

11....and vehicles.

12.About 300 people were evacuated...

13....and residents looked on.

14.Smoke covered the Acropolis, an ancient area with notable structures like the Parthenon.

15.And fires neared the Olympic Academy near Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

16.Also near Olympia, the mountainside Platanos village was engulfed by flames.

17.The fires spread to Varibobi.

18.And a local Varibobi man was seen trying to cover his face in an effort to protect himself from the smoke.

19.Firefighters worked continuously.

20.An exhausted volunteer crewman needed a break.

21.Local residents offered to help.

22.Others watched the smoke rise from a distance.

23.And took photos.

24.Over 150 homes have been destroyed.