‘The new reality’: Athens wildfire victims vow to adapt and stay put

People say they are determined and that prevention will be key to mitigating the effects of the climate crisis

I used to talk to them every day." Dimitris Petrou takes in the creatures that were once his fluffy chicks but now look like coals. The buckled cage with its carbonised birds is part of the cataclysmic scenery left behind by the fire that bore down on Athens after raging across the Attica plains consuming everything in its path.

The 72-year-old retiree and his wife, Frosso, though red-eyed and fatigued, are somehow still going" but are profoundly shocked.