Smoke from Greek wildfires travels more than 750 km to North Africa
Satellite images show smoke from fires in South Boeotia, West Attica and Argolida drifting across the Mediterranean to the Libyan coast, while gale-force winds batter Evia and Crete.
Smoke plume crosses Mediterranean
On Saturday morning, 1 August 2026, satellite imagery from EUMETSAT’s Meteosat-12 captured a dense smoke plume stretching from southern Greece to the shores of North Africa. The smoke originated from three large wildfires that broke out on Friday, 31 July, in South Boeotia, West Attica (near Porto Germeno) and Argolida, and remained active overnight. According to the National Observatory of Athens / meteo.gr, the plume covered much of the eastern and southern Peloponnese before continuing over the Mediterranean Sea, ultimately reaching the coast of North Africa after travelling more than 750 kilometres.
According to satellite images recorded by EUMETSAT’s Meteosat-12 satellite and processed by the scientific team of the National Observatory of Athens / meteo.gr, in the early hours of Saturday 01.08, the smoke from the forest fires that broke out in parts of South Boeotia, Attica and Argolida on Friday 31.07 and were active during the night (mainly the forest fire in West Attica near Porto Germeno) has covered a large part of the eastern and southern Peloponnese and extends to the coast of North Africa, covering a distance of more than 750 km.
Fires in three regions
The wildfires ignited on Friday in three separate areas: South Boeotia, West Attica near the coastal settlement of Porto Germeno, and Argolida in the Peloponnese. Two of the fronts were still burning on Saturday, according to local reports. The fire in West Attica was identified as the primary source of the extensive smoke cloud. The Civil Protection authority placed Attica and Evia under a red alert for fire risk on Saturday, citing the combination of dry conditions and strong winds.
Strong winds fan flames
Gale-force winds were recorded across Evia, Attica, the Aegean and Crete on Saturday morning. The METEO unit of the National Observatory of Athens reported wind gusts of 130 km/h at Paximada Karystos on Evia, 112 km/h at the summit of Penteli in Attica, and 96 km/h at Mariou in southern Rethymno, Crete. These winds helped propel the smoke across the sea and complicated firefighting efforts. Forecasts indicated that the winds would begin to weaken gradually from Saturday afternoon.
- Paximada Karystos
- 130 km/h
- Penteli summit
- 112 km/h
- Mariou (Rethymno)
- 96 km/h
Satellite observations
The Meteosat-12 satellite, operated by EUMETSAT, provided the key imagery that tracked the smoke’s trajectory. The scientific team at the National Observatory of Athens processed the data, revealing the plume’s extent. The images showed the smoke blanketing the Peloponnese and then streaming southward over the open sea. The distance of over 750 km underscores the scale of the event, though no immediate health advisories for North Africa were reported.
- Wildfires ignite in South Boeotia, West Attica and Argolida.
- Fires remain active, smoke plume forms.
- Smoke reaches North Africa after travelling over 750 km.
- Winds expected to weaken gradually.
Outlook
With winds expected to ease later on Saturday, firefighting conditions may improve. However, the red alert for Attica and Evia remains in place, and authorities are monitoring the two active fire fronts. The smoke plume is likely to dissipate as atmospheric conditions change.
