Greece's Fire Service reported battling 50 wildfires across the country in the past 24 hours, with 11 blazes still active this evening as the nation grapples with an early and perilous start to its annual fire season.
The new outbreaks follow a major wildfire this week near Athens that prompted evacuations.
Thirty-nine of the reported blazes were swiftly contained, but firefighting operations are ongoing at several sites.
This week, a significant wildfire broke out near Marathon, in Attica, prompting emergency evacuation alerts for residents in areas such as Ano Souli and Marathon, directing them toward Grammatiko and Nea Makri.
Firefighting forces, including approximately 140 firefighters, 38 fire engines, ground teams, and numerous aerial assets, were mobilized to contain that blaze, which by late afternoon Wednesday was largely under control but still being monitored.
That fire, like others this week, underscored the heightened "red alert" for wildfires issued across several Greek regions, driven by persistently dry weather, high temperatures, and low relative humidity.
Elsewhere in the Cyclades, a wildfire at the Kinidaros site on the island of Naxos was still burning Wednesday evening, with firefighting forces reinforced throughout the afternoon.
Authorities confirmed no residential areas were under threat, with the blaze affecting brushland and some forested areas.
Meanwhile, a wildfire that erupted in a remote region near the Agios Stefanos site in the southernmost prefecture of Laconia was mostly extinguished. The fire was reported adjacent to the Penteli Monastery, on the same-name mountainside overlooking Athens from the north.
A major firefighting detachment, along with local fire brigade volunteers, was activated, as the area has witnessed devastating fires in the past.
Greece annually faces the specter of catastrophic summer wildfires, especially in the southern half of the country and on several major islands.
The current surge in incidents highlights the challenges authorities face as they confront the intensifying seasonal threat.