In northeast Athens, Greece, a devastating wildfire burned 104 square kilometers (40 square miles) of land this week, causing widespread destruction and prompting several countries to offer assistance. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service revealed the extent of the damage on Wednesday, following a massive containment effort near the capital city.

Tragically, a factory worker lost their life in the fire as it ravaged mountainous areas southward, covering an area nearly double the size of Manhattan and enveloping Athens in thick smoke. Officials reported damage to 22 businesses and at least 78 homes, with almost half of them completely razed. Inspections of the affected areas are ongoing and will continue in the coming days.

To aid in combating the wildfire, nine countries, including Turkey, provided support to Greece by sending additional ground crews, water-dropping planes, and helicopters to assist in the firefighting efforts outside Athens. This inferno is a consequence of consecutive heatwaves in southern Europe and lower than usual rainfall this year.

Statistics from the National Observatory of Athens indicate that over the past eight years, 450 square kilometers (174 square miles) of forestland in the Attica region, which encompasses Athens, have been destroyed by fires. This amount represents 37% of the region’s total forested area, illustrating the severe impact of wildfires on the environment in the area.