Meteo: The fire in Voula broke out in a forest area with flammable material

The forest fire that broke out yesterday Saturday on the southern outskirts of Ymittos, in the wider area of ​​Glyfada, had a focus area where the flammability of dead fine forest fuel was very high, according to the meteo of the National Observatory of Athens (EAA).

According to a statement from the area where the fire broke out and spread, the forecast data showed that the moisture content of the dead fine forest fuel was less than 10%, a value that is considered a threshold for rapidly spreading and intense forest fires.

After the improvement during the night, for Sunday the meteo expects a worsening of the pyrometeorological conditions, which will be characterized mainly by high temperatures and greater dryness in terms of forest fuel, with the winds still blowing with lower tensions compared to yesterday Saturday.

In addition, the meteo recalls the way in which fire interacts with the atmosphere, creating “its” weather and launching dangerous fumes:

* Strong upward movements of the air, which are caused by intense heating due to combustion and through which fumes are released high into the atmosphere; and

* downward movements of the air, which compensate for the upward movements and through which flames can fall at great distances from the main front of a fire, thus causing new outbreaks.

Flammability assessment (based on real meteorological observations) and forecast of the moisture content of the dead fine forest fuel are services that are implemented operationally, on a daily basis, by the Flame / Meteo unit of EAA.