Greece Intensifies Fight Against Wildfires Near Athens

Greek emergency services reported progress in containing a major wildfire near the capital, Athens, with improved conditions and scattered hotspots remaining. The blaze, one of several that have affected the Gulf of Corinth area, has caused significant destruction and led to the evacuation of villages. The operation, involving hundreds of firefighters and numerous aircraft, comes amid a prolonged spell of intense heat and strong winds that has strained the country's firefighting capacity.

According to the fire service, more than 30 aircraft joined 575 firefighters battling the blaze near the coastal village of Psatha, approximately 60 kilometers northwest of Athens. Vassilis Vathrakoyannis, fire department communications chief, told AFP, "The situation has clearly improved compared to the last few days, but there are still many scattered hotspots, which means that forces remain on site to prevent a possible flare-up." Large areas of scorched terrain continued to hold active and smoldering pockets that could reignite if winds strengthen.

The fire near Psatha and the neighboring area of Porto Germeno broke out on Friday and has scorched extensive areas of forest and farmland. Most of the destruction was in villages on the Gulf of Corinth, including Porto Germeno, where scores of homes are thought to have been destroyed or damaged. At Porto Germeno on Tuesday, police had set up checkpoints controlling access as authorities assessed the damage. Hillsides once covered in pine forest have been reduced to ash, with dozens of homes left gutted and abandoned, as witnessed by AFP.

The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, warned of "extremely difficult" days ahead. He wrote on social media, "When the winds blow with such force, even the dozens of aircraft we have at our disposal cannot operate safely." He added, "There are moments when nature and the intensity of weather phenomena surpass any human planning and any operational capability." The fires are being exacerbated by winds reaching up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour, according to meteorological reports. The Prime Minister had described the weather as "extreme weather conditions and winds," as reported by DW and other sources.

Nearly 500 firefighters were battling blazes around the popular coastal village of Porto Germeno, some 70 kilometers northwest of Athens, according to the fire department. They were attempting to keep the fire from approaching the western outskirts of Athens after it scaled a mountain overnight. About 100 firefighters were fighting another blaze in Aigialia in the northern Peloponnese, and a new fire broke out late Saturday on the Ionian Sea island of Cephalonia.

In Cephalonia, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting the new fire, as reported by DW. This adds to a series of arrests related to the fires; in the Porto Germeno case, police made two arrests, including a local mayor, over the blaze, which is believed to have started from a faulty power cable, according to France 24.

The human toll of the fires has been significant. A mid-air collision between two fire brigade helicopters occurred on Sunday in the Psatha area, as firefighters battled the blazes. The fire service said the two aircraft collided and that search and rescue teams were "immediately mobilized to locate and assist the crews." Television footage showed one of the helicopters exploding and plunging to the ground in flames. Greek public broadcaster ERT reported that the crew of one helicopter had been found and were safe, while the fate of the second crew remained unclear. The collision ultimately killed a Danish pilot and his Greek co-pilot, according to France 24.

In addition to the helicopter accident, the fires have claimed the lives of firefighters. DW reported that three firefighters died in recent days in the line of duty, two in Crete and one in the Peloponnese. France 24, in contrast, reported that the wildfires have claimed the lives of five firefighters since last week, including the two from the helicopter crash. This discrepancy in the reported number of fatalities was not resolved in the available information.

The extent of the damage is considerable. The Porto Germeno fire alone has scorched more than 13,000 hectares of forest and farmland, according to France 24. The National Observatory's climate tracker meteo.gr estimated that over 6,500 hectares had been burned in separate fires on the Gulf of Corinth, which also swept Porto Germeno, as reported by France 24. Theodore Giannaros, a wildfire meteorologist at the National Observatory, said the fires around Porto Germeno could be classified as a "megafire," with the affected area exceeding 10,000 hectares, as reported by France 24.

The fires have also prompted heightened warnings across Greece. The greater Athens region, neighboring Evia and several Aegean islands, including Chios and Lesbos, have been placed under near-maximum fire risk for Wednesday, according to the civil protection ministry. National Observatory research director Kostas Lagouvardos told ERT, "This is the period where we usually see the biggest fires. Therefore we need to be very careful until August 20-25," warning that temperatures were set to rise during the week.

Key Claims

  • Two fire brigade helicopters collided in mid-air in Greece on Sunday while battling wildfires around the Gulf of Corinth, as reported by multiple sources.
  • The collision occurred in the Psatha area, with search and rescue teams immediately mobilized.
  • Three firefighters died in recent days in the line of duty, according to DW; France 24 reports five deaths since last week, including the helicopter crash victims.
  • Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of "extremely difficult" days ahead, citing winds up to 100 kilometers per hour.
  • More than 30 aircraft and 575 firefighters battled the blaze near Psatha, according to France 24.
  • The situation improved compared to the last few days, but scattered hotspots remained, according to fire department officials.
  • The Porto Germeno fire has scorched more than 13,000 hectares, as reported by France 24.
  • Police made two arrests, including a local mayor, over the blaze, believed to have started from a faulty power cable, as reported by France 24.
  • A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting a new fire on Cephalonia, according to DW.
  • The National Observatory's climate tracker estimated over 6,500 hectares burned in separate fires around the Gulf of Corinth.
  • Theodore Giannaros, a wildfire meteorologist, said the fires around Porto Germeno could be classified as a "megafire."