The island of Chios has been declared in a state of civil protection emergency due to the ongoing wildfires. The emergency status, which will last until July 22, 2025, was announced by the Secretary General for Civil Protection, Nikolaos Papaefstathiou.

The decision was made following a formal request by the Municipality of Chios, aiming to address the urgent needs caused by the wildfires on the island.

Residents of the Leptopoda settlement in Northern Chios have been placed on standby for potential evacuation after receiving an alert via 112 emergency SMS. A new blaze — the fifth wildfire since yesterday — broke out in the area at around 10:00 AM this morning and is still active.

According to the Fire Service, the flames are near the settlement, which is not under immediate threat at the moment. However, northerly winds of 4-5 Beaufort (with gusts reaching 6-7 Beaufort) are fueling the fire, and residents are advised to be ready to leave their homes if necessary.