Two dead in Oraiokastro wildfire near Thessaloniki; body feared to be missing 12-year-old son
A wildfire that broke out in the Derveni area of Oraiokastro, near Thessaloniki, on the afternoon of 30 June 2026 has left two people dead, including a man found in the forest and a second body inside a burned house that authorities fear belongs to the couple's missing 12-year-old son. The mother, a 40-year-old woman, was pulled from the property with burns and is hospitalised.
Fire breaks out in Oraiokastro
The fire started at around 14:30 on 30 June 2026 in low vegetation in Derveni, within the municipality of Oraiokastro, and quickly spread through a forested area. Strong firefighting forces were deployed, and the blaze advanced toward the settlement of Liti.
Body of a man found; woman rescued
During the suppression effort, firefighters discovered the body of a 66-year-old man (some reports identify him as a 67-year-old teacher) in the forest near the limits of Liti. In the vicinity of the same house, they extricated a 40-year-old woman, the man’s wife and mother of the missing child, who had suffered second-degree burns to her hands, thigh and neck. She was handed over to EKAB ambulance staff and is being treated at the Surgical Clinic of Hippokrateio Hospital in Thessaloniki, described as haemodynamically stable with her life not in danger.
Second body found: fears for missing boy
Several hours later, a second body was located by fire crews inside a residence in the same wooded area near Liti. Although official identification is pending, the first indications and witness accounts strongly suggest the remains are those of the couple’s 12-year-old son. The boy had been reported missing since the afternoon, after his injured mother told authorities that he had been with his father when the fire broke out.
Conflicting reports on the child’s fate
Before the second body was found, volunteers told Mega TV that the boy had been located and was in good health, but that information was never confirmed by the police or fire service. The search for the child continued until the grim discovery inside the gutted house.
Emergency warnings and evacuations
The 112 emergency alert system issued two messages: the first at 15:40 informing residents about the fire in the area, and a second one at 16:40 instructing the population of Liti to evacuate to the local stadium. Firefighters have since moved to fully contain the fire, which is described as approaching full perimeter control.
- Fire starts in low vegetation in Derveni, Oraiokastro municipality
- First 112 alert warns residents about the wildfire in the area
- Second 112 message orders evacuation of Liti settlement to the local stadium
