Greek firefighters battled 45 separate wildland fires across the country over a 24-hour period, several breaking out nearly simultaneously and requiring rapid deployment of ground and aerial firefighting forces, authorities said.
Among the most significant incidents was a fire in Alivéri, Evia, where 80 firefighters, ground units, 12 aircraft and surveillance drones were deployed, backed by two emergency alerts issued through the 112 system.
The fire has since been contained with no active front.
Major firefighting operations were also mounted in Vasilika and Perea, near Thessaloniki, in Ypato, Boeotia, in Psakoudia, Halkidiki, and at the archaeological site of Knossos in Crete, where visitors were evacuated as a precaution. Fires that broke out in Oinofyta, Boeotia, as well as in Messenia and Rhodope, were extinguished quickly, limiting their spread.
For Wednesday, Greece's General Secretariat for Civil Protection has forecast very high wildfire risk (Category 4) for the regional units of Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Kalymnos, Kos and the entire region of Crete. The Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection has placed the state mechanism on heightened alert, issuing a Red Code warning for the highest-risk areas and notifying regional and municipal authorities to maintain full operational readiness.
Authorities urged residents to avoid any outdoor activity that could spark a fire through negligence, including the use of spark-generating equipment, outdoor grilling, beekeeping smoke use and discarding lit cigarettes. Burning of fields and crop residue remains banned throughout the fire season.
Citizens who spot smoke or fire are urged to immediately contact the fire service at 199 or the emergency line 112 and follow instructions from authorities.