Saturday, a wildfire ravaged the suburbs of Athens, destroying homes and vehicles, according to the Fire Department.

The fire soon spread across the slopes of Mount Hymettus, which overlooks the Greek capital, and sent dense clouds of smoke over the southern suburbs, which were fanned by strong winds.

Approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the center of Athens, civil protection authorities evacuated portions of the Voula and Glyfada regions out of precaution.

A witness observed at least two residences with substantial fire damage.

"Due to the intense north winds the fire quickly spread and approached the city," Yiannis Artopios, spokesman for the Fire Department, stated in a briefing.

"We ask our fellow citizens to be very careful," he continued.

More than 130 firemen, aided by six firefighting aircraft and four helicopters, poured tonnes of water to extinguish a fire that had been burning for more than seven hours.

Wildfires consumed approximately 300,000 acres of forest and bushland in various regions of Greece during the country's hottest summer in 30 years.

In hours in 2018, 102 people perished in a fire that ravaged the beach village of Mati near Athens, leaving the nation with terrible memories.