A wildfire broke out in low vegetation in Gastouni, a town in Ilia, in the northwestern Peloponnese, shortly after midday on Monday, 10 August.

Three aircraft were scrambled to help tackle the blaze. On the ground, 25 firefighters with five vehicles and two ground crews from the fire service’s 6th Special Forest Operations Unit worked alongside volunteers to bring it under control. Water tankers and heavy engineering machinery supplied by local municipal authorities also joined the effort.

Meanwhile, Greece’s civil protection authorities have issued a very high fire risk warning, rated category four, for Tuesday, 11 August, across five regions.

The General Secretariat for Civil Protection, part of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, said the warning, based on its daily Fire Risk Prediction Map, regards the following regions: Attica, including the island of Kythira; the Corinthia, Argolis and Laconia regional units of the Peloponnese; the Boeotia, Phthiotis and Evia regional units of Central Greece, including the island of Skyros; the Lesbos, Chios, Samos and Ikaria regional units of the North Aegean; and the Cyclades regional units of the South Aegean.

The Secretariat has told relevant state services, along with regional and municipal authorities in the affected areas, to remain on heightened alert to respond quickly to any fire outbreaks.

Officials are urging residents to avoid activities in the countryside that could spark a fire through negligence. These include burning dry grass, branches or land-clearing waste, using equipment that produces sparks such as circular saws or welding tools, lighting outdoor barbecues, smoking bees, and discarding lit cigarettes, among other things. Burning agricultural land remains banned throughout the fire season.

The Fire Service’s second stage of operational readiness remains in effect, with increased aerial surveillance and more patrols from fire, police and military units. Fire service personnel in the affected regional units have been placed on partial standby to handle any surge in incidents.

A Civil Protection Action Plan for tackling forest fire risk has also been activated in these areas. Among its measures is a preventive ban on vehicle access and visitors to national parks, forests and other vulnerable areas.

Anyone who spots a fire is asked to alert the fire service immediately by calling 199.