Wildfire on Greek island of Salamina kills two, injures up to nine as winds hamper firefighting

How the fire started

A wildfire broke out on the Greek island of Salamina in the Aegean Sea on Sunday, August 16, at approximately 14:45 local time, in the Peristeria area on the southern tip of the island. Salamina lies about 30 km west of Athens and is separated from the capital by a strait only a few hundred meters wide. According to Europa Press, the fire originated in an area filled with garbage and spread immediately through the Peristeria and Selinia zones. Just 15 minutes after the first blaze, a second fire erupted in Selinia, on the eastern side of the island, about 8 km from Peristeria, as reported by the newspaper Kathimerini. The origin of the flames remains unknown. The island, roughly 15 km in diameter with wooded hills exceeding 300 meters in height, was already crowded with visitors due to the Assumption holiday weekend, when large numbers of Athenians travel to nearby islands like Salamina.

Victims and casualties

Firefighters discovered the bodies of a man and a woman near the origin of the fire in Peristeria, a mixed residential and forest area. The two victims are presumed to have been a couple. The number of injured varies by source: France 24 and La Razón reported four people transported to health centers with minor injuries not considered serious, while 20 minutos and Europa Press put the figure at nine injured with burns. Several homes have been destroyed by the flames across the affected areas.

Firefighting response

The deployment of resources grew through the afternoon as the fire spread across two fronts. Europa Press, publishing at 14:57 UTC, reported 192 firefighters, 32 vehicles, and 14 aerial vehicles (six waterplanes and eight helicopters) on the scene. By 16:00 UTC, later sources reported 260 firefighters, 58 vehicles, and 18 aerial vehicles (six waterplanes and eight helicopters, though France 24 specified ten aircraft and eight helicopters). RTVE reported approximately 200 ground personnel and more than a dozen aerial means. Strong gusting winds, described as near-hurricane by France 24, have severely hampered firefighting efforts on the island's wooded terrain.

These conditions allowed the fire to quickly reach dangerous proportions and spread rapidly in seven minutes toward nearby residential areas.

Firefighters expressed hope that the winds would subside by Monday, easing containment work.

Evacuation and public safety

Authorities began evacuating beachgoers from the popular coastal areas of Salamina, deploying fire service and coast guard vessels for the operation. The beaches were especially crowded this weekend due to the Assumption holiday. Preparations were underway for a possible sea evacuation of the island's nearly 40,000 residents, with multiple boats made available. Greek police were deployed to regulate traffic in the area, and the fire service urged all citizens to follow official instructions closely.

Broader European context

The Salamina fire is part of a wider wave of wildfires across Europe during the summer season, driven by high temperatures and drought. Just days earlier, tourists and residents had to flee villages in the Halkidiki region of northern Greece due to a fire that, fanned by strong winds, destroyed homes and trees near a tourist resort. In eastern Belgium, a forest fire that began on Friday, August 14, was being described as the worst in more than a century, though details in the available reporting were limited.