Greece Wildfires

A wildfire ignited around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026 in a ravine in the mountainous area north of Thessaloniki and spread rapidly through brush and scrubland, driven by strong seasonal winds. Residents of the small settlements of Anthoupoli, Filothei and Galini were notified by text message to evacuate, while a residential facility housing 157 people with special needs was also cleared — about 120 ambulatory residents were sheltered in a gymnasium and the remainder relocated to a nearby psychiatric hospital. Flames tore through two industrial facilities including a recycling plant, releasing toxic smoke that prompted Thessaloniki authorities to order residents to remain indoors with windows shut.

The Thessaloniki fire is part of a wider outbreak: Greek civil protection reported roughly 96 wildfires ignited across the country in just two days as the region baked under the third major heatwave of the summer. Additional blazes broke out in Attica, on the island of Crete, and near Corinth, prompting further evacuation orders and closing highways. Approximately 115 firefighters and 38 fire engines were deployed on the Thessaloniki fire alone, supported by volunteer crews, water-bombing aircraft, and helicopters. Nationwide, thousands of firefighters, hundreds of vehicles, and specialized ground forces have been mobilized as the Fire Service warned of extreme fire-danger conditions across most of the country.

Greek authorities activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to request additional aerial resources as fires burned simultaneously across Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. The Hellenic Red Cross deployed volunteers to shelter and support evacuated residents, distribute water, and provide first aid at reception points, while international relief organizations began mobilizing to reinforce the response as the peak of the Mediterranean fire season approaches.