The situation is improving after a wildfire broke out at around 14:30 on Friday (21 August) in the Thanos area of Lemnos. A new alert was sent via the 112 emergency system at around 16:00, instructing residents of the Agia Paraskevi and Profitis Ilias districts to move towards Myrina, while evacuations by sea were carried out at the same time.

Large firefighting forces have been deployed to bring the blaze under control. 33 firefighters are operating at the scene with 12 fire engines and two ground crews, supported from the air by six aircraft and one helicopter. Lemnos Municipality is also helping with water tankers. A ground crew from the Fire Service’s 7th Special Forest Firefighting Unit is due to be flown to the area by Fire Service helicopter, and three Air Tractor firefighting planes took off from Alexandroupoli, in north-eastern Greece, bound for Lemnos, where they are now carrying out water drops.

An evacuation operation is under way to remove people from Thanos beach, on the southern side of Lemnos, because of the fire. It is being coordinated by the Hellenic Coast Guard’s Operations Centre, after the blaze made it necessary to move civilians away from the shore.

According to the Coast Guard, 59 people have been evacuated so far and are being taken to Myrina harbour by rescue boat. The operation involves a Coast Guard patrol boat, a rescue boat, a fishing boat and five private vessels. Weather conditions in the area include north-northwesterly winds of force 3 on the Beaufort scale.

A Coast Guard spokesperson said efforts were also under way to evacuate residents from Platy beach. That operation remains in progress, with the authorities monitoring the situation and continuing work to move people to safety.

Lemnos is currently rated at fire risk category 3, meaning high risk, for today.

The Arson Investigation Unit of Lesvos, part of Greece’s Fire Service, has been mobilised to examine the causes of the fire.

An earlier 112 alert had told residents of the area to remain on standby and follow instructions from the authorities.