Thousands of firefighters and residents respond to fast-moving fires fueled by powerful winds.
On Friday, Greek authorities confirmed that the major wildfire in the central region of Boeotia has spread eastward and the flames have entered the Attica region, while a new fire on a mountain in Athens has forced the evacuation of an area within the capital’s urban limits.
RELATED:
Spain’s Wildfire Crisis Continues as National Emergency Ends in Madrid
Fueled by strong northerly winds blowing from the Aegean Sea with gusts reaching up to 150 kilometers per hour, the fire shows no signs of letting up in Greece.
Thousands of firefighters are operating across the country and thousands of people have been evacuated from dozens of communities, while new outbreaks continue to emerge.
Nearly 100 firefighters, supported by five aircraft and six water-dropping helicopters, are battling a fire that broke out on Mount Poikilo, virtually within the urban area of Athens and very close to several neighborhoods in the western part of the capital.
Civil Protection has ordered the evacuation of the upper part of the Chaidari neighborhood, a municipality of the capital with a population of 13,000 and the one closest to the mountain.
Shocking aerial views from the Fire Service helicopter and drone of the wildfire at Agios Vasileios, Boeotia.
Evacuation orders issued via 112. Strong winds hampering efforts. Hundreds affected.
More details & footage in bio.#Greece #Wildfire #Boeotia #Firefighters… pic.twitter.com/N0n1hB0NjC— Greek City Times (@greekcitytimes) July 31, 2026
On Friday, a major wildfire that broke out in Boeotia, which had already prompted the evacuation of about 1,000 people from five communities earlier in the day, spread eastward, reaching the capital region.
Authorities were forced to evacuate the coastal villages of Porto Germeno and Prosili, a popular summer destination for Athenians with about 300 permanent residents, located about 45 kilometers west of downtown Athens.
Firefighters and Coast Guard personnel rescued about 500 residents and visitors by boat from the coastal village of Ayios Vasileios, on the border between Boeotia and Attica, after they became trapped by the fire.
The wildfires burning in the regions of Argolis and Achaea, on the southern Peloponnese Peninsula, remain out of control and have forced the evacuation of at least six communities with a combined population of more than 1,000 people.
Δαφνί: Οι φλόγες έφτασαν κοντά στα σπίτια
Μεγάλη επιχείρηση βρίσκεται σε εξέλιξη στο Δαφνί, καθώς η φωτιά πλησίασε κατοικημένες περιοχές και προκάλεσε έντονη ανησυχία στους κατοίκους.
— TA NEA (@ta_nea) July 31, 2026
The text reads, “Daphne: flames have approached houses. A major operation is underway in Daphne, as the fire has neared residential areas and caused widespread concern among residents. Powerful air and ground forces are working to contain the fire front and prevent it from spreading to the houses.”
In Argolis, local authorities decided to carry out a precautionary evacuation of Mycenae, one of Greece’s most important archaeological sites, located very close to the wildfire. In the village of Fichtia, near where the fire began, several homes have been reached by the flames.
Around midday Friday, new wildfires broke out in the regions of Thebes, in central Greece, and Arta, in western Greece, while the blaze in Rethymno, on the island of Crete, remains out of control for a third consecutive day and forced the evacuation of two additional communities. That wildfire has so far burned at least 4,500 hectares of forest.
On Wednesday, three firefighters lost their lives while battling the wildfires in Crete and in the region of Gytheio, the latter of which is now under control, on the Peloponnese Peninsula.
According to forecasts, no significant decrease in the northerly winds over the Aegean Sea, which have fueled several of these wildfires, is expected before midday Sunday.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.