Firefighters on the Greek island of Skyros faced an all night battle against a forest fire that broke out on Saturday afternoon, August 15, 2026, in a forested area on the western part of the island. Strong winds blowing in the area severely hindered firefighting operations.
Shortly after 16:30, emergency authorities issued a 112 alert instructing people in Agios Fokas to evacuate toward Acherounes via the main ring road. Shortly before 18:30, a second 112 alert directed residents in Pefko to evacuate toward Chora, Skyros, along the main ring road.
Firefighting forces on the island were reinforced to 53 firefighters, five ground crews from the 1st, 4th, and 18th Special Units of Disaster Response Operations (EMODE), ten vehicles, and local volunteers. Municipal water tankers from Skyros also assisted in the operation. Aerial units operated until the last light of day with 11 aircraft and five helicopters, including one helicopter coordinating air strikes.
Additional firefighting forces were scheduled to travel by sea from Kymi in Euboea. These reinforcements included 20 firefighters with five vehicles from the Motorized Special Unit of Firefighting Operations (METPE) of Attica, six firefighters with three vehicles from the Fire Service Command of Euboea, four firefighters with two vehicles from the Region of Thessaly, and five firefighters from the 4th EMODE.
Giannis Artopios, deputy press spokesman for the Fire Corps, told public broadcaster ERT that conditions were extremely difficult due to strong winds reaching 7 to 8 Beaufort. Artopios emphasized that the blaze was a very difficult fire progressing in the western sector of the island. Photo and video coverage of the firefighting response was recorded by Aristotelis Paneris.
European Satellite Mapping and Greek Wildfire Fronts
The Planning and Emergency Response Directorate of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, under orders from the General Secretary of Civil Protection, requested the activation of the European Union Copernicus Emergency Management Service Mapping module. The European Union accepted the request to produce satellite image mapping data for affected areas within the Municipality of Skyros in the Euboea Regional Unit of Central Greece. The resulting mapping products will be distributed immediately and free of charge to all involved response agencies.
Firefighters also responded to several other fire incidents across Greece on Saturday. In Plakias, Rethymno, on the island of Crete, police arrested an Israeli national after a fire started from an outdoor barbecue he had lit. Meanwhile, officials reported no active fire fronts at the wildfire locations in Xiropotamos on Samothraki and Vambakes in Corinthia. In Kalochori, Thessaloniki, a fire broke out inside a local car repair shop.
Severe melteni gale winds swept through Attica, Euboea, and Tinos, with wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h. Speaking from Chania, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that his thoughts were with those fighting the daily battle against wildfires across the country.
Torrential Rain in Mani and Maritime Rescues
Severe weather also struck southern Greece, where torrential rain caused heavy damage to homes and the road network in Mani. Local representatives described the storm as an unprecedented situation for the region. A woman was struck by lightning while inside her car, while swollen streams turned roads into torrents, flooded houses, and trapped multiple drivers. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis stated that the National Health System was fully prepared and operating smoothly following the severe weather in Mani.
In the Saronic Gulf, strong sea currents swept away an engine-less inflatable boat carrying four Romanian citizens who were attempting to navigate using oars. In northern Greece, emergency services launched a rescue operation on Mount Olympus for a 50-year-old female hiker who was injured while walking along a mountain trail. In the Aegean Sea, footage showed the ferry Skopelitis battling heavy waves.
In Messini, a driver lost control of a vehicle and crashed through the glass window of a store, coming to a stop between customer tables. In Rhodes, Coast Guard personnel used megaphones to direct swimmers away from a beach diving board that had been officially sealed due to structural stability problems. In Varnavas, a 74-year-old woman died after her car ran off the road, plunged into a stream, and overturned.
Law Enforcement Operations and Local Incidents
Greek authorities dismantled a Balkan mafia operation after discovering 324 kilograms of cannabis hidden inside recyclable materials. The shipment had originated in Albania and was being transported through Greece with a final destination in Turkey.
On the island of Paros, a violent altercation broke out over a parking spot when a taxi driver assaulted an employee of a vehicle rental company. The taxi driver later stated that he regretted the incident but claimed that the rental employee had hit him first.
Following the incident, the taxi driver's employer publicly announced his immediate dismissal, stating that the driver was finished at his business.
The Regional Governor of Central Macedonia was admitted to the AHEPA hospital in Thessaloniki after feeling unwell. The governor later posted a message stating that all is well that ends well.
International News and Media Reports
In athletics, Greek sprinter Emmanouilidou expressed deep sorrow following a relay baton exchange error, offering an apology and stating that she was devastated at being unable to perform as required.
Reports emerged detailing an 18-day ordeal endured by a female university student in Iran who had protested in her underwear. Sources stated that she had been tied up and administered forced antipsychotic injections.
Actor Alexandros Bourdoumis commented publicly on playing former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a film directed by Costa-Gavras. Bourdoumis expressed disappointment that Tsipras did not attend the screening of the movie.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that stacks of fast food boxes are routinely kept aboard Donald Trump's airplane, explaining that Trump relies on fast food due to a fear of food poisoning.
Singer Madonna visited the Varlaam Monastery at Meteora, where she spent three hours and sought spiritual advice from the Abbot. In Afghanistan, five years have passed since the Taliban returned to power, marked by the restoration of slavery, extrajudicial executions, and legally sanctioned abuse of minors. In Argentina, a 62-year-old woman set a national record by becoming the oldest person in the country to give birth.
The United States aircraft carrier USS Lincoln was reported to be experiencing severe physical deterioration while at sea, leaving 5,000 sailors and marines near a nervous breakdown. In maritime diplomacy, Bloomberg reported that Iran and Oman are close to finalizing a maritime chart agreement for the Strait of Hormuz. In the United Kingdom, the family of a 41-year-old former Cambridge professor found dead following a fake resume scandal stated that excessive public misinformation had contributed to the tragedy.
