- Two people have died and an evacuation is under way after two fires broke out within minutes of each other on a Greek island near Athens.
- The first blaze was reported at 14:40 local time and spread rapidly due to high winds, according to officials on the island.
- Two bodies were recovered from the Peristeria beach area, as hundreds were evacuated by sea and land.
- Nearly 200 firefighters, 50 engines, six aircraft, and seven helicopters have been deployed to combat the fires.
- Four evacuation orders were issued as the fires broke out almost simultaneously in Peristeria and Selinia.
- Efforts are ongoing to prevent the fires from converging over a mountain, according to local officials.
- Salamina is located just west of Athens and has around 37,000 residents, many of whom are elderly.
- Firefighters across Europe have been facing a series of wildfires this weekend, fueled by high heat.
Two people have died and hundreds have been evacuated as wildfires rage on the Greek island of Salamina, just west of Athens. The fires erupted almost simultaneously in the popular bathing areas of Peristeria and Selinia, leading to urgent evacuation orders from the civil protection ministry.17
Fire officials reported that nearly 200 firefighters, supported by 50 fire engines, six aircraft, and seven helicopters, are battling the blazes, which spread rapidly due to high winds. Salamina Deputy Mayor Thodoris Zannis described the situation as a difficult fire within inhabited areas, emphasizing the need to prevent the flames from merging into a larger wildfire.4
As of now, 90 people have been evacuated by sea, with the coastguard deploying five patrol boats and additional private vessels for assistance. The fires have been fueled by unusually strong winds, with Greece experiencing a surge in wildfires since late July, following a summer largely spared from extreme heat.
The fire department reported that thirty-four fires have ignited across the country in the past 24 hours, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by wildfires in the region. Tragically, this incident adds to the toll of five firefighters who have lost their lives in recent months while combating blazes in Greece.
“The fires broke out almost simultaneously in Peristeria and Selinia, prompting four evacuation orders, with some 90 people evacuated by sea. Greece has seen 34 fires in the past 24 hours, and five firefighters have died so far this season, including a Danish pilot in a mid-air collision.”
