Firefighters extinguish blaze at abandoned Melenikou Street building in central Thessaloniki

Emergency response at 35 Melenikou Street

Emergency crews in the city of Thessaloniki mobilized during the early morning hours of Thursday, 20 August 2026, after a fire broke out inside an abandoned building in the city center. The initial emergency reports indicated that the flames erupted at approximately 03:45 at 35 Melenikou Street. The location sits directly above and behind the Rotunda monument and lies in close proximity to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki campus. Dense columns of smoke quickly rose above the structure and drifted across large portions of the central urban district. The fire produced visible flames from the ground level and created a heavy, suffocating atmosphere throughout the neighboring streets as emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.

Containment efforts in a dense residential block

The Hellenic Fire Service dispatched strong operational forces to the address, deploying more than 20 firefighters to bring the incident under control. Crews operated both from the street outside and directly within the interior of the burning building to suppress the core of the fire. Because the structure is located in a densely populated neighborhood directly adjacent to occupied multi-story apartment blocks, emergency teams prioritized rapid containment to stop the fire from spreading to neighboring residences. Firefighters directed water streams against vulnerable exterior walls to prevent heat transfer and protect nearby residential balconies from catching fire. The coordinated intervention succeeded in isolating the blaze within the perimeter of the abandoned property before any surrounding apartment buildings suffered damage.

Property history and search for occupants

The residential structure at 35 Melenikou Street has stood unoccupied and abandoned for several years, though local reporting noted that individuals occasionally used the vacant rooms for temporary accommodation. At the time the blaze erupted, emergency responders were unable to confirm whether any persons were present inside the building. Fire service personnel established that systematic searches of the entire interior would take place once the fire was fully extinguished and conditions allowed safe access. The site has a recorded history of similar emergency incidents, with previous fires reported at the exact same building in earlier years. As of Thursday morning, the official cause of the new blaze remains undetermined, with investigative procedures pending the complete clearance of the premises.

Extinguishment and site monitoring

Firefighters successfully brought the blaze under control and completed the full extinguishment of the fire later on Thursday morning. The heavy smoke that had blanketed the area above the Rotunda and the Aristotle University neighborhood began to dissipate following the conclusion of active firefighting operations. Fire service personnel remained stationed on Melenikou Street to dampen remaining hot spots, cool smoldering debris, and prevent any rekindling among the building's compromised interior structures. Specialized inspection teams prepared to conduct the scheduled interior checks to verify whether anyone had been caught inside the structure during the fire. Official investigators from the Fire Service will proceed with formal inquiries into the cause of the fire once the site has been thoroughly secured.