Athens, 14 August 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The major wildfire that raged for almost three days near Athens has been extinguished, officials said on Wednesday.

Firefighters continue to monitor an area north-east of the Greek capital to prevent any re-ignition of smouldering hotspots in the charred fields, forests and outlying neighbourhoods.

A broken electricity pylon may have triggered the fire on Sunday afternoon, according to the Kathimerini newspaper. The report said investigators have examined the site and collected evidence.

There is still disbelief about how rapidly the fire spread - and how close it got to the city.

"It was like an atomic bomb," a resident told the newspaper.

Some have criticized the fire service, complaining on social media of a slow response when it came to tackling the blaze with waterbombing aircraft.

But Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said the first firefighting helicopter was on site just four minutes after the fire broke out. He posted a video on social media to back up his claim.

Others have praised the work to extinguish the flames that had raged across an area of around 100 square kilometres in hot and windy conditions.

It is still unclear how many people lost their homes and how many businesses and farms were damaged. Dozens of communities that were evacuated are now covered in black ash.

Questions also surround the only fatality of the fire, a woman working at a garden centre who was unable to get to safety.

Other employees managed to flee the burning complex, with some jumping from a balcony, the newspaper To Proto Thema reported. It is believed that the woman suffered smoke inhalation and became unconscious.