More than 70 wildfires have broken out across Greece since Friday morning.
Fire official Vassilis Vathrakogiannis stated that 51 new fires broke out and teams are fighting a total of 73 forest fires.
Vathrakogiannis stated that most fires have spread to the Greek mainland, concentrating in the Athens region and the nearby Viotia region.
Blazes near Athens and Viotia
The largest blaze is burning near the seaside town of Porto Germeno, approximately 70 kilometres northwest of Athens in the Viotia region.
A fire department spokesman told the French AFP news agency that the fire has reached the sea and homes have been damaged.
Local media reported that several homes were destroyed and a fire engine was completely burned during the wildfires.
Authorities used Greece's 112 emergency warning system to order evacuations from Porto Germeno, Psatha, and Mytikas.
Twelve people were rescued by boat overnight during the wildfires.
Firefighting aircraft resumed water drops near Porto Germeno after crews battled the flames throughout the night.
A wildfire on Mount Poikilo on the western outskirts of Athens reached the edge of the Haidari suburb and approached the Daphni Psychiatric Hospital.
Seventeen patients were evacuated from the Daphni Psychiatric Hospital as a precaution.
Impact on Crete and other regions
Wildfires on the island of Crete have affected approximately 5,000 hectares.
In the Rethymno region near Preveli, wildfires affected approximately 760 hectares, while wildfires on Paros Island affected approximately 975 hectares.
Satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) estimated that wildfires in the Rethymno region of southern Crete and on Paros Island have affected more than 5,700 hectares.
As of Thursday, a wildfire in the Melabes region of Rethymno, Crete, was estimated to have affected over 4,000 hectares.
Conditions improved in the Rethymno region on the island of Crete.
A wildfire also broke out near the coastal village of Agios Vasileios.
Firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in the northwestern Peloponnese.
Response and environmental impact
3 deaths
Firefighters lost their lives due to the wildfires in Greece.
The National Observatory of Athens weather service recorded winds up to 130 kilometres per hour on Saturday.
The Greek fire brigade is at the maximum level of alert, warning of high fire risk in the Attica peninsula and the island of Evia.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Civil Protection crisis coordination center on Saturday.
Bloomberg Athens Deputy Bureau Chief Paul Tugwell stated that Greece's wildfire response is under severe strain due to gale-force winds, dry conditions, and difficult terrain.
Tugwell also stated that climate change extends the wildfire season and raises concerns regarding long-term economic and insurance costs.
The damage to the Porto Germeno area was 'inconceivable'.
— Theodore Giannaros, a wildfire meteorologist and senior researcher at the National Observatory of Athens
The environmental damage is huge.
— Thebes Mayor Giorgos Anastasiou to Open TV
European Union countries are coordinating firefighting resources across borders.
Updates
The largest blaze has been identified as burning near the seaside town of Porto Germeno in the Viotia region, located approximately 60 kilometers west of Athens.
The largest blaze has been identified as burning near the seaside town of Porto Germeno in the Viotia region, located approximately 60 kilometers west of Athens.
The largest blaze has been identified as burning near the seaside town of Porto Germeno, located in the Viotia region approximately 60 kilometers west of Athens.
The largest blaze is burning near the seaside town of Porto Germeno in the Viotia region, located approximately 60 kilometers west of Athens.
The fire near Porto Germeno, located approximately 60-70 kilometers from Athens in the Viotia region, is potentially being classified as a megafire with an affected area estimated to exceed 10,000 hectares. Additional blazes have been reported in Aigialia and on the island of Cephalonia, while early estimates for the Gulf of Corinth fires stand at over 6,500 hectares. Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned that gale-force winds reaching 100 kilometers per hour have pushed firefighting services to their limits and prevented aircraft from operating safely.
The wildfire near Porto Germeno is expected to be classified as a megafire, with meteorologist Theodore Giannaros stating it has likely affected an area of over 10,000 hectares, significantly exceeding the 6,500 hectares previously estimated for the Gulf of Corinth region. Additionally, a new fire has broken out on the island of Cephalonia, while officials report that gale-force winds reaching 100 kilometres per hour have rendered aircraft operations unsafe. Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas noted that the fire department has been pushed to its limits due to these extreme conditions.
New reports indicate a massive wildfire in the Viotia region near Porto Germeno, which meteorologist Theodore Giannaros suggests could be classified as a megafire after affecting over 10,000 hectares. While early estimates placed the burned area in the Gulf of Corinth at 6,500 hectares, a new fire has also broken out on the island of Cephalonia. Additionally, civil protection officials warned that extreme winds reaching 100 kilometres per hour have prevented aircraft from operating safely, pushing firefighting teams to their limits.
The Porto Germeno wildfire, which may be classified as a megafire, is believed to have been sparked by a faulty power line, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges. While battling the blazes, a mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha resulted in the deaths of a Greek national and a Danish pilot, leaving two other crew members hospitalized with light injuries. Additionally, more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the Attica region, with over 250 individuals rescued from beaches by boat.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has resulted in the deaths of a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while a Greek and a British national from the second helicopter were hospitalized with light injuries. Additionally, the fire near Porto Germeno is suspected to have been sparked by a faulty power line, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges. Evacuation efforts in the Attica region have now reached over 1,000 people, including 250 rescued by boat.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has killed a Greek national and a Danish pilot, while a Greek and a British crew member were hospitalized with light injuries. Investigations suggest the Porto Germeno fire may have been sparked by a faulty power line from a private wind generator, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges. Additionally, the Porto Germeno blaze is estimated to have affected over 10,000 hectares and is likely to be classified as a megafire.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has killed a Greek national and a Danish national, while a Greek and a British crew member were hospitalized with light injuries. Investigations into the Porto Germeno fire suggest it was sparked by a faulty power line from a private wind generator, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges. Additionally, the Porto Germeno blaze is being monitored as a potential megafire, with estimates suggesting it has affected over 10,000 hectares.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has killed a Greek crew member and a Danish pilot, while two others sustained light injuries. Meanwhile, the Porto Germeno wildfire, which may be classified as a megafire, is suspected to have been sparked by a faulty power line, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges. Additionally, over 1,000 people have been evacuated from the Attica region, including 250 rescued by boats from beaches.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has killed a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while a Greek and a British crew member were hospitalized with light injuries. Investigations into the Porto Germeno blaze suggest it was sparked by a faulty power line from a private wind generator facility, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges. Additionally, more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the Attica region, with over 250 rescued by boats from beaches.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has resulted in the deaths of a Greek national and a Danish pilot, while a Greek and a British crew member were hospitalized with light injuries. Investigations into the Porto Germeno wildfire suggest it was sparked by a faulty power line, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges, alongside an arrest warrant for the associated wind generator company's owner. Additionally, a new fire has broken out on the island of Cephalonia, while the Porto Germeno blaze is being classified as a potential megafire affecting over 10,000 hectares.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has killed a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while a Greek national and a British national from the second helicopter were hospitalized with light injuries. Investigations into the Porto Germeno wildfire suggest it was sparked by a faulty power line, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges, alongside an arrest warrant for the wind generator company owner. Additionally, over 1,000 people have been evacuated from the Attica region, including 250 rescued by boats, as the Porto Germeno fire is suspected to have affected over 10,000 hectares.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has killed a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while a Greek and a British crew member were hospitalized with light injuries. Regarding the Porto Germeno blaze, authorities believe a faulty power line from a private wind generator sparked the fire, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges. Additionally, the total area burned near Athens has reached 13,000 hectares, bringing the yearly total for Greece to 30,000 hectares.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha has killed a Greek national and a Danish pilot, leaving a Greek and a British crew member hospitalized with light injuries. The Porto Germeno wildfire, which officials believe may be classified as a megafire, is estimated to have affected over 10,000 hectares, while the total burned area near Athens has reached 13,000 hectares. Investigations into the Porto Germeno blaze suggest it was sparked by a faulty power line, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on felony arson charges.
The death toll from the wildfires has risen to five deaths over the past two weeks, following a mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha that killed a Greek national and a Danish pilot. Investigations suggest the Porto Germeno blaze may have been sparked by a faulty power line, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a contractor on arson charges. Additionally, the area burned near Athens has reached 13,000 hectares, bringing the total burned area in Greece since the start of 2026 to 30,000 hectares.
Two firefighting helicopters collided near Psatha in Western Athens, killing a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while two others — a Greek and a British national — were hospitalized with light injuries; the fire near Porto Germeno, now estimated by experts to have burned over 10,000 hectares and likely to be classified as a megafire, was traced to sparks from a faulty power line linked to a private wind generator, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer, a contractor, and the warrant for the company owner, while evacuations surpassed 1,000 people and five total deaths were confirmed in Greece over the past two weeks.
A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters near Psatha, Greece, killed a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while two others — a Greek national and a British national — were hospitalized with light injuries; the fire near Porto Germeno, now estimated by experts to have burned over 10,000 hectares and likely to be classified as a megafire, was traced to sparks from a faulty power line linked to a private wind generator, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer, a contractor, and the company owner, while evacuations surpassed 1,000 people in Attica and five deaths were confirmed across Greece in the past two weeks.
Two firefighting helicopters collided near Psatha in western Athens, killing a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while two others — a Greek and a British national — were hospitalized with light injuries; the fire near Porto Germeno, now estimated by experts to have burned over 10,000 hectares, was traced to sparks from a faulty power line linked to a private wind generator, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer, a contractor, and the company owner, while five water-dropping aircraft and additional helicopters were deployed Monday amid gale-force winds that grounded many aircraft, and total burned area in Greece since 2026 reached 30,000 hectares according to News247.
Two firefighting helicopters collided near Psatha in Western Athens, killing a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, while two others — a Greek and a British national — were hospitalized with light injuries; the fire near Porto Germeno, now estimated by experts to have burned over 10,000 hectares and likely to be classified as a megafire, was traced to sparks from a faulty power line linked to a private wind generator, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer, a contractor, and the issuance of a warrant for the company owner, while total burned area in Greece since 2026 reached 30,000 hectares and at least five people have died in the wildfires.
