Wildfire Rages Through Eastern Greece, Injuring Nine Firefighters, Destroying Homes, Forcing Mass Evacuations Overnight

Athens, Greece— A wildfire driven by strong winds tore through eastern Greece Thursday, injuring nine firefighters and destroying homes as flames jumped containment lines and raced toward coastal villages.

The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. local time near a forested area northeast of Athens in the Evia region, according to the fire service. Within two hours, gusts of up to 70 kilometers per hour pushed it into a wall of flame more than three kilometers long. Smoke was visible from Athens.

Nine firefighters were injured, most with burns and smoke inhalation, after their truck was surrounded when the wind shifted. They were evacuated by colleagues and taken to hospitals in Chalkida and Athens. Two were listed in serious but stable condition late Thursday, the health ministry said.

At least 25 houses were confirmed destroyed by evening, with dozens more damaged. Local mayors said entire hamlets were evacuated, including two retirement homes. The coast guard assisted in moving people by boat where roads were blocked. The fire burned through olive groves, pine forest, and scrubland already bone-dry after a hot October.

"We had a fire break, we had trucks, then the wind turned and none of it mattered," a fire brigade commander told state television. "The fire spotted a kilometer ahead. We were chasing it, not fighting it."

Greece has been hit by increasingly severe fire seasons as temperatures rise and rural land management lags. This blaze hit an area that burned in 2021, where regrowth was dense and highly flammable. Water-dropping aircraft were grounded for two hours in the afternoon due to high winds, leaving ground crews exposed.

The civil protection agency issued a 112 emergency alert ordering residents in five villages to leave immediately. Some refused. Police said they had to physically remove several elderly residents who insisted on staying to defend their homes with garden hoses.

Power was cut to more than 3,000 households as a precaution after flames reached electricity poles. The Athens-Lamia highway was closed in both directions after visibility dropped to near zero. Fire crews from Thessaly and the Peloponnese were called in as reinforcements.

By nightfall, the fire was still active on two fronts, burning toward the sea on one side and into a protected forest on the other. Wind was expected to drop after midnight.

Crews were digging new lines in the dark, hoping the wind would hold.