Greece issued withdrawal orders and closed parts of the coastal road, connecting the Greek capital to Sonian, the location of the ancient temple of Posidon, exiting the south of Athens on Thursday after a major tourist attraction. The first heatwave of Greece caught fire as a temperature near 40 ° C (104 Fahrenheit). “Right now, strong land and air forces are fighting a big battle against flames, mainly between houses,” Fire Department spokesman Colonel Vatrakogianis said during a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, “130 firefighters with 12 aircraft, 12 helicopters, a Coast Guard along with Volunteers helped fight the fire near Pelia Fokaya in the south of Athens, AP said. The fire, which was reportedly broken within a populated area, was surrounded by strong winds, which often turned in the changing direction, sending plums of fan fanning into the sky. Television footage showed at least one house burning. Local mayor Dimitris Luke said on the state-managed ERT television of Greece that many houses were considered damaged by the explosion, but said that accurate information on property destruction was not available immediately. The Coast Guard said that two patrol boats and nine private ships were placed on a standby in the Pelia Folkia region in case of necessary a clearance. Officials said the ambulances were also on standby, but were not necessary till Thursday afternoon. “We are asking people to leave our homes,” local city councilor Epostolos Papadkis said on ERT television run by the kingdom of Greece. Parts of the coastal road connecting Athens to Sonian were closed in both directions, people urged to take an alternative route to leave the area. A fire department spokesman said that a arson investigation unit was sent to the area. The entire Athens and many Azian islands are also on a high alert for wildfire due to weather conditions.