Greek firefighters fought 39 wildland blazes across the country over a 24-hour period on Tuesday, with emergency crews battling major active fronts in central Greece and the region of Attica.
The Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection announced that the Region of Ionian Islands has been placed on Red Code emergency mobilization status for Wednesday due to a category 4 fire risk, indicating a very high danger of new blazes.
The Ionian Islands, an archipelago located off the western coast of mainland Greece, face severe weather conditions that significantly increase wildfire hazards during the peak summer months.
Agios Vlasios Wildfire in Boeotia
The fire causing the greatest concern to the Greek Fire Service broke out shortly before 5:00 p.m. in low vegetation near Agios Vlasios in the regional unit of Boeotia. Fire officials reported that the blaze began at approximately 4:45 p.m. and was moving away from residential areas.
Ground forces were heavily reinforced during the evening to contain the fire and prevent its spread. A total of 92 firefighters, supported by 25 fire engines and five specialized foot units from the 4th and 10th Special Forestry Operations Units, known as EMODE, worked through the night.
Municipal authorities in nearby Levadeia supplied additional support, deploying water tankers and heavy construction machinery to assist state firefighting crews.
Before darkness fell, aerial firefighting operations deployed 14 airplanes and four helicopters operating periodically to drop water over the affected terrain.
Emergency services issued two separate alerts through the national 112 emergency notification system to warn residents in the surrounding area. An initial message at 5:27 p.m. advised residents in Agios Vlasios and Tsoukalades of the situation, followed by an evacuation order at 6:14 p.m. directing people in the wider Tsoukalades area to move toward the city of Livadeia.
The Fire Service noted that the region was already under a category 3 high fire risk warning. Investigators from the Phthiotis Arson Crimes Investigation Unit were deployed to determine the cause of the outbreak.
Boeotia is a regional unit in central Greece located northwest of Athens, with Livadeia serving as its administrative capital.
Improved Conditions in Stefani and Salamina
A second major forest fire that broke out around 3:30 p.m. in a remote, hard-to-reach area near Stefani in Boeotia showed an improved picture by Tuesday night, according to officials. The fire burned far from residential communities.
A force of 85 firefighters, 28 vehicles, and four foot unit teams from the 1st and 4th EMODE units responded to the Stefani blaze. Four airplanes and four helicopters operated overhead during daylight hours, including one helicopter dedicated to coordinating aerial drops, while the Tanagra municipality supplied water tankers.
Firefighters also stabilized a wildfire that erupted at approximately 4:40 p.m. in low vegetation and accumulated waste at Elliniko on the island of Salamina. The Fire Service confirmed that while the threat of further expansion had passed, strong teams remained on site to suppress potential reignitions.
The blaze burned through a large quantity of refuse, including discarded batteries and small gas canisters, triggering loud explosions. Fire officials clarified that the detonations stemmed entirely from burning trash and household items rather than military munitions.
The response team at Salamina comprised 80 firefighters, 25 vehicles, three foot unit teams from 1st EMODE, municipal water tankers, and volunteer firefighters. Earlier at 5:10 p.m., civil protection authorities issued a 112 emergency text directing residents in Ano Vasilika and Nea Salamina to evacuate toward the Karaiskaki Coast.
Salamina, also known as Salamis, is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, situated just off the coast of Attica near Piraeus.
Incidents in Laurium and Aspropyrgos
In southern Attica, a grass fire at Kalopigado in the Laurium area was brought under control, with officials confirming no active fire front remained by Tuesday evening.
Later in the evening at approximately 9:15 p.m., another vegetation fire broke out at Lakka Katsari in Aspropyrgos, west of Athens. Firefighters extinguished the blaze immediately using 10 personnel and three fire trucks.
The West Attica Arson Crimes Investigation Unit opened an inquiry to determine what started the fire in Aspropyrgos.
