×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Sunday
02
Aug 2026
weather symbol
Athens 30°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> Greece

Wildfire front near Megara sparks string of evacuation alerts, as helicopters battle blaze; fixed-wing aircraft grounded

Over 100 homes lost near Porto Germeno as 496 firefighters battle two fronts threatening Megara with French and Romanian reinforcements, eleven arrested for arson across five regions, and evacuations continue on Kefalonia and Fokida overnight

Kostas Stamou, Marinos Aliferis August 2 12:22

Δείτε περισσότερα άρθρα μας στα αποτελέσματα αναζήτησης

Add Protothema.gr on Google

UPDATE

  • The fire in Western Attica is in full swing, with flames advancing on one front towards Agios Nektarios–Agia Paraskevi and, further south, towards the firing range at Kandili, Megara.
  • A string of 112 emergency alerts has been issued for evacuations across Western Attica, specifically for the areas of Toutouli, Nea Dafni, Pefkeneas, Agios Sarantis, the Megara Industrial Estate (VIPE), Kandili and Agia Skepi.
  • In total, 496 firefighters are tackling the blazes across Attica and Boeotia, backed by 22 ground crews from the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th and 18th Special Forest Fire-fighting Units (EMODE), volunteers and 134 vehicles – including 23 firefighters with 4 vehicles from France and 23 firefighters with 4 vehicles from Romania, deployed in Greece as part of the European Pre-positioning of Firefighting Forces scheme.
  • 18 helicopters are making periodic sorties over the Attica–Boeotia fire, though gale-force winds have kept fixed-wing aircraft grounded.

Mitsotakis visits Civil Protection’s Crisis Coordination Centre

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis travelled this morning to the Coordination Centre for Crisis Management and Response at the Civil Protection Ministry, accompanied by Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, where he was briefed on the wildfires burning across the country, with particular focus on the blaze at Porto Germeno.

Officials noted that strong winds continue to batter the area, hampering aerial firefighting operations. Even today, turbulence is preventing aircraft from making water drops, meaning only helicopters remain in action. Ground forces have been substantially reinforced in the meantime, while Special Forest Fire-fighting Units have pushed into hard-to-reach terrain to continue operations there.

Following the briefing, discussions turned to anti-erosion works set to begin immediately in the fire-affected areas, as well as the recording of damage for state compensation purposes.

Fire breaks out in low vegetation at Stathaiika, Argos

A fire broke out on Sunday morning (2 August) in an area of low vegetation at Stathaiika, near Argos, prompting an immediate Fire Service response.

Forty-two firefighters were mobilised, along with one ground crew from the 9th Special Forest Fire-fighting Unit (EMODE), 9 vehicles and 2 aircraft.

Fthiotida: Fire at Kyparissonas, Pelasgia, now under control

UPDATE

Satellite image shows active fire fronts in Western Attica

The major forest fire in Western Attica remained active on Sunday (2/8) morning, according to the latest satellite data processed by the team at the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr.

The newest satellite hotspot detections show that during the night and early morning hours there was extensive activity in the area of Porto Germeno, east of Psatha, across the wider eastern and southeastern section of the already burnt area, as well as along the mountainous zone extending north of Megara.

The active satellite hotspot detections on Sunday morning are shown in yellow. The burnt area mapped between 30 July and Saturday, 1 August is shown in orange, while the burnt areas from previous months are shown in blue and green.


“Over 100,000 stremmas burnt in Attica and Boeotia”

Fire meteorologist Thodoris Giannaros describes the enormous scale of the destruction caused by the major wildfire in Boeotia and Attica in a post on social media.

He states that the latest data on the spread of the Agios Vasileios (Boeotia) fire shows it is very likely, if not almost certain, that the blaze will be classified as a megafire.

He also notes that, based on the hotspots detected up to dawn on Sunday, 2 August 2026, the area affected now exceeds 100,000 stremmas (roughly 10,000 hectares).


Improved picture of the fire in Aigialeia

The fire situation in Aigialeia has improved, though it remains active, according to the Fire Service.

At first light, two firefighting helicopters began water drops over the fire front, while strong ground forces continue to battle the flames.

Around 100 firefighters are currently operating in the area, supported by four ground crew teams and 30 vehicles, while fire crews managed to keep the blaze away from residential areas throughout the night.

Firefighters battled through the night to stop Greece’s Porto Germeno mega fire reaching Megara, as a fresh blaze forced evacuations on Kefalonia and crews also fought flames in Fokida

More than 66,000 stremmata (around 6,600 hectares) of forest and farmland have been reduced to ash by a mega fire raging across the wider Porto Germeno area and Boeotia, western Attica.

Settlements on Kefalonia were evacuated overnight after a fire broke out in the Pastra area. Greece’s 112 emergency alert system ordered residents of Kateleios, Markopoulo and Kremmydi to head towards the island’s capital, Argostoli. Authorities later triggered a further 112 alert, telling residents of Chionata, Thiramonas and Mavrata, in the Kefalonia regional unit, to leave immediately for Argostoli as the fire developed.

The Attica region, along with the Boeotia and Evia regional units of Central Greece, remain on Red Code alert, the country’s highest wildfire risk warning.

The large Porto Germeno fire is currently burning fiercely at Veniza, around five kilometres from Megara. Residents of Psatha have been moved to Alepochori and Megara. Helicopters began operating over western Attica at around 6:30am.

Dozens of homes have been destroyed around Porto Germeno, with early estimates putting the number at more than 100. Explosions continue to be heard in the Veniza area, where the fire is burning close to the Megara military firing range.

A huge firefighting operation is underway, with 496 firefighters and 22 ground crews from the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th and 18th EMODE (Greece’s Special Disaster Response Units), together with volunteers and 134 vehicles, deployed across Attica and Boeotia.

They are being reinforced by 23 firefighters and four vehicles from France and a further 23 firefighters and four vehicles from Romania, part of a pre-positioning of European firefighting crews in Greece.

Water tankers and heavy machinery have also been supplied by the Attica and Central Greece regional authorities, with support from the Deukalion disaster response team, the Directorate for Construction and Natural Disaster Response, the Hellenic Police (ELAS), the National Centre for Emergency Care (EKAB), and buses from the Fire Service and the armed forces to help move residents.

The fiercest fighting overnight was concentrated at Porto Germeno, where the fire has split into two dangerous fronts. The eastern front stretches from Kryo Pigadi, Agia Paraskevi and Agios Nektarios towards Vilia, while the southern front is moving through Porto Germeno, Psatha and Veniza, the area of greatest concern, with firefighters focused on preventing it from reaching Megara.

>Related articles

Prime Minister:”There are times when the intensity of such phenomena exceeds all human planning” – Support for wildfire victims will be immediate

Two arrests over major Boeotia wildfire, believed to have started from sparks in wind turbine network

Heartbreaking images emerge from Rethymno the day after deadly wildfire

Ground crews are concentrated mainly on the southern front, trying to keep the fire away from Psatha and the Veniza settlement, while a separate battle is under way at Agios Nektarios to stop the flames reaching Vilia. A series of 112 alerts have been issued ordering residents out of Alepochori, Psatha, Veniza, Loumpa, Zachouli, Agia Paraskevi, Kryo Pigadi and Agios Nektarios.

Separately, 11 people have been arrested on suspicion of starting fires in Argolida, Ilia, Serres, Attica and Lesvos. Fire Service investigators found that the major blaze at Fichti, near Argos and Mycenae, was sparked during agricultural work, when a tractor fitted with a mulcher threw off sparks. A 57 year old man and a 53 year old woman were arrested at the scene.

A fire also continues to burn at Skoloma in Fokida, where 64 firefighters, including two teams from the 6th EMODE, and 15 vehicles are deployed. The 112 system has ordered evacuations in the settlements of Klima, Pigi, Koukoura, Nea Koukoura, Magoula, Pefkaki and Efpalio.

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#attica#Boeotia#fire fighters#fire service#fires#Fokida#kefalonia#Megara#porto germeno#wildfires
> More Greece

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Wildfire front near Megara sparks string of evacuation alerts, as helicopters battle blaze; fixed-wing aircraft grounded

August 2, 2026

Prime Minister:”There are times when the intensity of such phenomena exceeds all human planning” – Support for wildfire victims will be immediate

August 2, 2026

Two arrests over major Boeotia wildfire, believed to have started from sparks in wind turbine network

August 2, 2026

Heartbreaking images emerge from Rethymno the day after deadly wildfire

August 2, 2026

Murder of Scottish woman found in Kypseli suitcase: Police seek clues in homeless man Markos, and victim’s phone contacts

August 2, 2026

Eleven arrests made over blazes and fire-safety breaches in Argolida, Ilia, Serres, Attica and Lesvos

August 1, 2026

Connecticut stepmother accused of imprisoning stepson for 20 years in case likened to Auschwitz survivor’s ordeal

August 1, 2026

Animal Rescue Race Against the Flames: Dozens Moved Away from Risk, See Photos

August 1, 2026
All News

> Greece

In reverence, the emotional deposition in Jerusalem, see photos & video

The Holy Temple of the Resurrection opened after many days due to the war between Israel and Iran

April 10, 2026

In the final stretch for the accreditation of joint master’s degrees: Aiming for their launch in the coming academic year

April 10, 2026

Schedule for Epitaph Procession today (10/4)

April 10, 2026

Perfect weather for Easter excursions, according to Tsatrafyllia’s forecast

April 10, 2026

Easter in Greece: The customs that continue in Greek tradition – From Nafpaktos to Corfu

April 10, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα