A wildfire that tore through the Sivyri area of Halkidiki, in northern Greece, has eased, though firefighters remained on the ground amid fears of flare-ups after the blaze destroyed homes and critical infrastructure, authorities said.
Yiannis Koufidis, deputy regional governor for Halkidiki, said the fire had severely damaged Sivyri's wastewater treatment plant, with most of the facility burned and likely "completely destroyed," along with extensive damage to the town's theater.
He said the full extent of residential damage remained unclear as firefighting operations continued.
The villages of Sivyri and Fourka were evacuated, with only shopkeepers who refused to abandon their stores remaining behind. Power and water were cut in Sivyri, while phone service was down in Fourka.
Crews from grid operator DEDDIE and the Central Macedonia region were working to restore electricity and water, prioritizing public infrastructure including pumping stations and the wastewater plant, according to Charalambos Stergiadis, head of the region's Civil Protection directorate.
"The fire now appears to be partially subsiding, with small pockets remaining," he said. "We'll see how it develops so residents can gradually begin returning."
Evacuation efforts moved 481 people to safety by sea and land: 285 were transported to Sani Marina, while 196 boarded the vessel Speedrunner Jet bound for the port of Thessaloniki, expected to arrive after 10 p.m.
Mr. Stergiadis said hotels would be coordinated to house evacuees overnight.
Some 155 firefighters, four ground units and 57 vehicles — including 12 firefighters and three vehicles from Moldova under the EU's firefighter pre-positioning program — battled the blaze, supported by nine aircraft and seven helicopters. Additional reinforcements arrived from across Greece, including firefighters flown in from Elefsina and crews from Ioannina, Alexandroupoli, Kozani, Volos and Kavala.
Municipal water tankers and heavy machinery from the Kassandra municipality also assisted operations.