Greece issues Category 4 wildfire warning for Attica and four other regions

Category 4 alert across five regions

Authorities in Greece have issued a Category 4 very high fire risk alert for Monday, 24 August 2026, across five administrative regions. According to the Fire Risk Prediction Map published by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, operating under the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the orange alert will cover the entire Attica Region, including the island of Kythira. In the Region of Central Greece, the warning applies to the regional units of Phthiotis, Boeotia, and Euboea, alongside the island of Skyros. The Region of the Peloponnese will face Category 4 conditions in the regional units of Corinthia, Argolis, and Laconia. Island territories under the alert include the regional units of the Cyclades in the South Aegean Region, as well as the regional units of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, and Ikaria in the North Aegean Region.

Emergency services enter partial alert

The General Secretariat for Civil Protection has formally notified all involved state services, regional administrations, and local municipalities in the designated territories to maintain increased civil protection readiness for rapid response to potential wildfire incidents. Following the notification, the Fire Service announced that fire personnel stationed across the affected regional units will enter partial alert status. The operational plan activates the second stage of operational readiness for the Fire Corps. State emergency response will deploy intensified aerial surveillance flights alongside increased joint ground patrols composed of fire service units, police forces, and military personnel across high-risk sectors.

Preventive restrictions and public directives

To limit ignition hazards, authorities will implement the Civil Protection action plan for managing forest fire risks across the five regions. This framework mandates preventive measures, including temporary vehicle traffic prohibitions and bans on hikers and excursionists entering national parks, forest lands, and vulnerable ecological zones. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection and the Fire Service issued explicit appeals urging the public to avoid outdoor activities that could trigger accidental fires. Banned actions include burning dry vegetation, grass, and trimming waste, operating spark-emitting machinery such as circular saws or welding apparatus, using outdoor barbecues, smoking beehives, and tossing lit cigarettes. Field burning remains strictly prohibited during the entire fire prevention season, and citizens discovering a blaze are instructed to dial emergency dispatch at 199.

Preceding nationwide Category 3 alert

The Category 4 alert for Monday represents an escalation from conditions on Sunday, 23 August 2026, when authorities placed 36 administrative areas across Greece under a Category 3 high fire risk warning. Sunday's warning covered Attica, Kythira, Boeotia, Euboea, Skyros, Phthiotis, Phocis, and Aetolia-Acarnania, reaching northern mainland regions including Thesprotia, Preveza, Arta, Trikala, Larissa, Magnesia, Evros, Rhodope, Kilkis, Thessaloniki, and Chalkidiki. It also encompassed Mount Athos and targeted zones within Ioannina, Karditsa, and Serres. In southern and island territories, Sunday's Category 3 alert applied to Argolis, Corinthia, Achaea, Elis, Messenia, Laconia, Arcadia, the Sporades, Northeast Aegean islands, Ionian islands, Crete, the Cyclades, and the Dodecanese. The civil protection secretariat published guidelines on its official civilprotection.gov.gr portal instructing residents to follow standardized self-protection measures.