Halkidiki wildfire near Siviri forces sea evacuation of 481 as firefighters battle scattered hotspots for second day

How the fire started

The wildfire broke out near Kassandreia on the Kassandra peninsula of Halkidiki at approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 13 August 2026. According to fire investigators, a tree toppled by strong winds fell onto a power pole of the electricity network operator DEDDHE, causing a short circuit and sparks that ignited low vegetation. The fire spread rapidly through pine forest and reached the urban fabric of Siviri, encircling the settlement and advancing toward the beaches. Strong winds throughout Thursday afternoon drove the fast expansion and hampered containment efforts.

Evacuation by land and sea

Authorities issued four consecutive emergency 112 alerts to move residents and visitors away from Siviri and Fourka toward safer areas. The evacuation was complicated by the fact that the first leg of the Halkidiki peninsula relies on essentially one main road axis, creating heavy traffic and congestion. A large-scale sea evacuation was organised from the beach of Siviri, involving two Coast Guard patrol boats, two Fire Service vessels, three fishing boats, private vessels and the passenger ferry Speedrunner Jet. A total of 481 people were rescued: 285 were transferred to the Sani marina, while 196 boarded the Speedrunner Jet for the port of Thessaloniki, where KTEL buses received them for overnight accommodation in hotels. Two buses were also used to evacuate people from Fourka by road. A hotel in Fourka housing children from Ukraine was evacuated on Thursday afternoon.

Firefighting operation

By 21:00 on Thursday the fire had no active front, but scattered hotspots continued to burn in gullies and difficult terrain. More than 220 firefighters with 13 foot-patrol teams from the EMODE units and 57 vehicles operated through the night. The contingent included 12 firefighters with three vehicles from Moldova, present in Greece under the EU pre-positioning program for European firefighters. Two DIKAFKA construction machines were deployed to open firebreaks in coordination with the forestry service. Water tankers and machinery from the Municipality of Kassandra also assisted. Aerial assets conducted continuous water drops until late afternoon on Thursday and resumed at first light on Friday.

Casualties and infrastructure damage

Two firefighters were injured during operations and transported to Polygyros Hospital, one suffering from heat exhaustion and the other with a leg injury. No civilian injuries were reported during the evacuation. Deputy Governor of Halkidiki Giannis Koufidis told APE-MPE that the fire caused serious damage to infrastructure, with the biological treatment plant of Siviri largely burned and possibly completely destroyed, and the Siviri theater sustaining significant damage. Homes in the Naftilos settlement were also damaged. The full picture of destruction will become clear only after crews gain full access to the affected areas.

Power, water and return preparations

Electricity and water supplies were cut in Siviri and Fourka due to the fire. Power was restored on the main road axis around 21:00 on Thursday, while DEDDHE crews and the Region of Central Macedonia continued working to restore supply across the wider area. Generators were brought in to power critical infrastructure such as pumping stations and the biological treatment plant. Charalambos Stergiadis, head of the Civil Protection Directorate of the Region of Central Macedonia, stated that the fire was in partial recession and expressed the assessment that, if conditions remained stable, the gradual return of residents could begin. The road from Kassandra to Fourka remained closed on Friday morning, and residents and visitors were awaiting clearance from authorities to return and inspect their properties. The EU's Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated to map the burned area.