'Total destruction' as Greece battles wildfires; homes burned, thousands evacuated

An aggressive wildfire swept through the northern Athens suburb of Kryoneri on Saturday, destroying homes and forcing emergency evacuations, as Greece and much of Southern Europe grapple with a brutal third heatwave this summer.

Fuelled by scorching temperatures, dry conditions, and high winds, the blaze is one of dozens erupting across the region—straining emergency resources and placing thousands at risk.

A video shared by Greek journalist Evangelo Sipsas on X shows the devastating wildfires.

In Kythira, a third wildfire is engulfing a large part of the island, with residents describing scenes of "total destruction", BBC news reported. "We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed," Greece's Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said.

At least two homes were engulfed, and five residents, mostly elderly citizens, were hospitalised with burns and smoke inhalation.

Authorities sent three emergency SMS alerts to residents in Kryoneri, located approximately 20km northeast of Athens, instructing them to evacuate immediately. Residents were directed to head toward the city center, away from the smoke and advancing fire lines.

“The real difficulties are ahead of us,” said Fire Service spokesperson Vassilios Vathrakogiannis, warning that soaring temperatures and strong winds could worsen conditions in the coming days. Greece has requested six firefighting planes from the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism.

In nearby Drosopigi village, just 25 kilometers north of Athens, explosions echoed through the smoke-filled air. The area houses factories with flammable materials, raising fears of further danger. Fire crews scrambled to contain the blaze as helicopters doused flames from above.

On the ground, 145 firefighters, 44 fire engines, 10 planes, and 7 helicopters have been deployed across the wider Athens region.

This is southern Europe’s third heatwave this summer, with temperatures in Greece reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday. The fire service said that 52 agroforestry fires have erupted in the past 24 hours, 44 of which were quickly contained.

“Under such extreme conditions,” Vathrakogiannis said, “wildfires expand very quickly and become dangerous.”

Neighboring Albania also reported 26 fires across the country, including one that forced the evacuation of 2,000 people near the southern town of Delvina on Friday. Three people were injured in that incident.

Aside from Athens, three other major wildfires are raging on the islands of Crete, Evia, and Kythera. In total, 335 firefighters, 19 planes, and 13 helicopters are operating across the nation—though air assets are limited to daylight hours.

Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common phenomenon in Greece in recent years.

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