The fire began on Saturday in the town of Keratea, located some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the capital.
The fire raged unchecked for several hours in the forested hills above the city's houses, with strong winds sparking new fronts for several kilometers.
Local mayor Costas Levantis told Greek media that one house has been burned down by the flames.
Authorities have dispatched 120 firemen, two planes, two helicopters and dozens of firefighting vehicles; however, they have so far failed to extinguish the blaze.
Residents in the affected area have already been evacuated for safety, as dark smoke and orange flames could be seen for kilometers. The flames are now threatening homes on the outskirts of Athens.
Meanwhile, the Greek government has warned that firefighting resources are stretched dangerously thin.
Greece has often been plagued during the summer season by hundreds of fires in the past, some of them deadly.
Last year, wildfires forced massive evacuations in the city of Avra, located some 50 kilometers from Athens, after ten houses went down in flames.
In 2007, over 70 people died in some 3,000 wildfires that destroyed an estimated 10,000 hectares of land across Greece.
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