Greece contains new wildfire near Athens as winds fan flames across Attica

Fire breaks out near Kouvaras

A wildfire erupted on Monday morning, August 10, at approximately 08:00 local time (05:00 GMT) in Kouvaras, a community 60 km southeast of Athens in the Attica region. Strong winds exceeding 70 km/h drove the flames through Mediterranean scrubland under summer heat, with temperatures in Attica reaching up to 37°C. Firefighters deployed immediately, with at least 172 personnel (described as "near 200" by some sources) and around 40 vehicles, supported by two water-bombing planes and four helicopters. The scale of deployment reflected the country's maximum alert status, with several regions classified at risk level 4 on a scale of 5. A large part of Greece faced a very high fire risk on Monday due to the combination of summer heat and strong wind gusts.

Evacuations and damage

Civil protection authorities ordered the precautionary evacuation of Agios Stylianos, a village close to Kouvaras, as the fire advanced through the area. Houses in a residential complex in Kouvaras were also evacuated, according to ERT News. A livestock farm warehouse was destroyed by the flames, with images broadcast by ERT News showing firefighters on foot battling the blaze near the mountainside farm surrounded by scrubland vegetation. The public broadcaster also reported that aircraft and helicopters struggled to operate over the fire zone due to gusts that "change direction," complicating aerial firefighting efforts despite the deployment of two planes and four helicopters.

Fire contained within hours

About three hours after the fire began, flames had diminished and the situation appeared much improved, as observed by an AFP photographer on the ground. By early afternoon, the fire service press office confirmed the situation had improved significantly.

There is no active front but we remain present on the zone where temperatures remain high with strong gusts of wind.

The fire was circumscribed a few hours after it broke out, a relatively swift containment compared to previous blazes in the region this summer. Firefighters maintained a presence on site due to persistently high temperatures and strong wind gusts that could reignite hotspots.

Second fire near Athens this summer

This is the second wildfire near Athens this summer. A previous fire, declared ten days ago northwest of the Greek capital, destroyed more than 11,000 hectares of pine forest, scrubland, and agricultural land. That fire took five days to contain due to gusts reaching 130 km/h, significantly stronger than the winds driving Monday's blaze. Two helicopter crew members died during that operation when their helicopter collided with another helicopter while fighting the flames.

Decade of destruction in Attica

Experts have warned about the severity of fires affecting Attica over the past decade. Between 2017 and 2026, 42% of the region's total forest area burned across 15 large fires. That figure rises to 64% for the forests of western Attica, west of the capital. Greece remained on maximum alert on Monday, with several regions still classified at risk level 4 on a scale of 5, as the summer fire season continued to strain emergency response capacity across the country.