Firefighters have tackled a major blaze at a factory unit in Aspropygros as Athens was under threat of a chemical disaster.
The fire involved an industrial plastic recycling unit and local residents were told to keep their windows and doors shut due to the amount of smoke in the area.
Huge plumes of smoke poured out into the sky around Aspropyrgos a suburb located 15 km northwest of the city center of Athens in the Thriasian Plain, near the Saronic Gulf .
The fire broke out on Saturday with the toxic smoke posing a threat of chemical contamination to the entire city.
Fire engines are still on site as three to four days are required to extinguish all the flames.
The crews are now dampening down the buildings by hosing them down with water.
The spokeswoman said that the cause of the fire is unknown at this stage, and investigations will be carried out once it is safe for the firefighters to enter the site.
During the preliminary examination, petrol cans, car tires and pharmaceuticals were found in the 46 acres lot, for which the company was not licensed.
It was also found that the company did not take the necessary fire-fighting measures and did not initiate the contingency plan. At the same time, there were other offenses, according to the Police, which proceeded yesterday in an arrest.
Specifically, on Tuesday afternoon police officers of the Department of Environmental Protection of Attica, arrested a 34 year old, currently in charge of the recycling company for violating the Environmental Protection Act legislation, while the president and executive director of the company is also being charged with the same offenses.
Experts decried Greece's government for its lackadaisical reaction to the fire.
Deputy Environment Minister, John Tsironis, stated that “The fire could be extinguished by smothering it with soil” but he blamed his predecessor for not paying the company that provided the soil last time such measures were taken. He also noted that the Environment Ministry's stations can not measure the exact amounts of toxic smoke.
Attica prefect Rena Dourou was also criticized as she visited the site only three days after the blaze occurred.