Athens: Lycabettus opens, Filopappou remains closed

Lycabettus Hill reopens to the public from midnight on Friday, August 14, following an update to weather forecasts, announced the City of Athens. The hill will be accessible on August 15, one of the busiest days of the year. In contrast, Filopappou Hill remains closed until further notice. Both hills were closed preventatively due to strong winds and very high fire risk affecting Attica in previous days. The reopening applies only to Lycabettus and does not entail lifting other restrictive measures. Lycabettus attracts thousands of visitors daily—residents and tourists—both for hiking on its trails and for views from the summit.

Fire danger remains very high, at level 4, and municipal services are on increased alert with water trucks ready. The Municipal Police conduct patrols and surveillance on Lycabettus, Strefi, Filopappou, Tourkobounia, and Ilissia using unmanned aircraft equipped with thermal cameras. The Municipal Police Operations Center operates around the clock to assist the Fire Service. Thermal cameras allow detecting fire sources before they become visible, crucial during nighttime hours. Municipal water trucks have been positioned at strategic locations for quick access to the hills to assist firefighting forces if a fire starts.

The municipality advised citizens to avoid any work involving naked flames, sparks, welding, or torches, metal cutting with wheels, and flamethrowers. In its announcement, it urges residents to “be especially careful” and contact the 24-hour citizen service line at 1595 for any related reports. Athens’s hills comprise the largest green spaces within the urban area and simultaneously represent high-risk zones, as they are surrounded by dense development.

Hill closures during high-risk days have become standard practice in recent years following incidents of fires in urban forests. The measure has faced criticism from residents who consider it excessive, especially when it lasts many days during heat waves when hills serve as cooling areas for neighborhoods. The municipality maintains that the decision is reviewed daily based on forecasts, and Lycabettus’s reopening before August 15 confirms this approach.