Copernicus maps 248 hectares burned in Siviri wildfire on Halkidiki's Kassandra peninsula

Fire outbreak and evacuation

A wildfire broke out in Siviri, on the Kassandra peninsula of Halkidiki, on Thursday, 13 August 2026 at approximately 14:00. The area was heavily burdened by increased tourist traffic at the time, which complicated the response. Authorities activated successive 112 emergency alert messages to evacuate residents and visitors from Siviri and the nearby settlement of Fourka to safer areas. The evacuation was particularly difficult because there is only one main road axis for exiting the first leg of the Halkidiki peninsula. According to one source, 446 people were evacuated through this route. The fire was contained and declared without an active front by midday on Friday, 14 August.

Copernicus satellite assessment

The EU's Copernicus satellite system was activated a few hours after the fire began, on the orders of General Secretary for Civil Protection Nikos Papaiastathiou, through the Directorate of Planning for Emergency Response of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection. The purpose was to produce cartographic products and data for areas of the Municipality of Kassandra to assist agencies involved in emergency response and consequence management. The request was accepted by the European Union, and satellite images capturing the burned area perimeter were produced on the afternoon of Friday, 14 August. The satellite image, dated 14 August 2026 at 18:56, recorded the total burned perimeter at 248 hectares, equivalent to 2,480 stremmata.

Breakdown of burned area

Of the 2,480 stremmata total, 1,388 stremmata (about 56%) correspond to forest area, while the remaining 1,092 stremmata (about 44%) are mainly grassland and shrubland. This distinction carries particular significance for assessing the consequences of the wildfire, as the total area mapped as burned does not consist exclusively of forest ecosystem. In grassland and shrubland areas, natural regeneration can be faster, especially after the return of autumn rainfall, in contrast to forest areas where vegetation restoration is typically much slower.

Ongoing firefighting operations

As of Saturday, 15 August, the fire in Halkidiki is bounded and has no active front, but 110 firefighters with 50 vehicles continue to operate in Siviri to deal with scattered hotspots and smoke-producing points, and to prevent possible rekindling. Firefighting forces in Halkidiki remain on alert. Across the country, 11 wildfires remain under surveillance, with Fire Service forces still deployed in the areas where fronts broke out in previous days, ready to address any rekindling immediately.

Data distribution and limitations

The data and maps from the Copernicus Emergency Management Service/Mapping will be distributed free of charge by the Directorate of Planning for Emergency Response to all involved agencies for their operational use. The satellite mapping is described as an important tool for estimating the impact of large wildfires, allowing the delineation of affected areas and the distinction of different land cover types. The Copernicus EMS mapping comes with caveats regarding limitations from the date of acquisition, the analysis of satellite data, and the interpretation process. The mapping does not constitute the final environmental or administrative assessment of damages on its own.