Two wildfires broke out almost simultaneously shortly after midday on Monday (10 August) in Gastouni and Kotteika, two areas close to each other in northern Ilia, a regional unit in the northwestern Peloponnese. Low vegetation is burning at both sites.

Substantial ground and air forces from the Hellenic Fire Service are battling the two fronts, with a combined total of 100 firefighters, 22 vehicles, six aircraft and two helicopters deployed.

In Gastouni, 40 firefighters are operating with nine vehicles, two ground teams from the 6th Special Forest Operations Unit, volunteers and one helicopter. At Kotteika, 60 firefighters are deployed with a ground team from the 18th Special Forest Operations Unit, volunteers and 13 vehicles. Six aircraft and one helicopter are making water drops from the air. Municipal water tankers and heavy machinery are also assisting the firefighting effort at both sites.

No homes are under threat so far.

In both incidents, the Fire Service’s Operations Coordination Centre (ESKEDIK) has kept continuous watch over the areas via drone, using thermal and optical cameras.

The wider region remains under a high fire risk warning, category 3 on the national five level scale.

The Ilia Arson Crimes Investigation Unit has been dispatched to both sites to establish the causes and circumstances behind the two fires.