Firefighting forces continue their battle against the flames in Chios, where wildfires broke out on Sunday afternoon on three fronts.

According to the Fire Service, there are many scattered hotspots, with the most serious problems in the areas of Agios Georgios Sykousis, Vessa, and Dafnonas.

Shortly before 6 a.m., a message was sent via the 112 emergency number instructing residents to evacuate Vessa once again.

The island was officially declared in a state of emergency yesterday. On the ground, 444 firefighters are operating with 85 vehicles and 21 ground teams, while at first light two planes and six helicopters began water drops from the air.

Nightmare night – Battle on five fire fronts
On Monday night, two messages were issued via 112 — one for the evacuation of the areas of Ververato and Zyfias, and another for Lithio.

The first 112 message stated:
“Forest fire in your area. If you are in Ververato and Zyfias, Chios, evacuate toward the city of Chios. Follow the instructions of the authorities.”

The second 112 message, issued half an hour after midnight, said:
“Forest fire in your area. If you are in Lithio, Chios, evacuate via Kontelopou toward the Neochori Community Hall.”

Ground forces focused on the sector toward Dafnonas, west of Chios town, spreading out along the fire perimeter to tackle hotspots, while making great efforts to prevent rekindling.

Within two days, five fires have broken out on the island. Specifically, on Sunday fires erupted in Kofinas, Agia Anna, and Agios Makarios Vrontados. In the early hours of Monday a new front broke out in Agios Markos, and later that morning another fire started in Agiasmata.

Suspected arson under investigation
The Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Giannis Kefalogiannis, visited Chios yesterday, accompanied by the General Secretary for Civil Protection, Nikos Papaefstathiou. The minister stated that the state is seriously investigating the possibility of organized criminal activity, i.e., arson. He added that they have been dealing with simultaneous fires “in multiple, geographically unconnected locations on the island — a pattern that cannot be considered accidental.”

“When fires break out simultaneously in so many scattered locations, we have to speak of suspicious activity,” Mr. Kefalogiannis said, while expressing gratitude to the firefighting forces. He also issued a stern warning, stressing:
“Whoever thinks they can play with citizens’ lives and cause chaos through premeditated acts will be brought to justice.”

Satellite image shows the devastation
The National Observatory of Athens released a satellite image of the burned areas and active fire fronts on the island. The image, taken by the European Sentinel-2 satellite, shows the extent of the destruction at 12:20 p.m. local time on Monday, June 23, 2025.