Two Dead as Wildfires Ravage Greek Island of Salamina During Holiday Weekend
Two people, believed to be a married couple, were killed and several others injured as fast-moving wildfires swept the Greek island of Salamina. The blaze erupted during a major summer holiday weekend, causing widespread evacuations and damaging several homes. Emergency crews, including nearly 200 firefighters and multiple aircraft, are actively working to contain the disaster amid high winds.
Two people died and several others were injured on Sunday as fast-moving wildfires swept through the Greek island of Salamina, west of Athens, on the biggest holiday weekend of the summer, according to a report by TRT World.
Across Europe, successive heatwaves have exacerbated drought conditions, strained local water supplies, and left vegetation tinder-dry, helping wildfires in Spain, France, and Greece scorch near-unprecedented amounts of land.
The local Fire Department stated that an evacuation operation is currently underway to rescue residents from the Kolones and Saterli areas. Officials added they believe the two deceased individuals were a married couple.
The destructive blaze broke out during Greece's peak summer getaway weekend, ahead of the August 15 Assumption holiday. During this time, large numbers of Athenians typically travel to neighboring islands like Salamina, which is easily accessible from Athens' primary port of Piraeus.
Local reports indicate that several homes have suffered damage, and five injured individuals have been transported to a nearby health clinic.
To combat the flames, emergency response teams deployed approximately 192 firefighters, 14 aircraft and helicopters, volunteer crews, and municipal water tankers. Officials noted that gale-force winds have caused the fire to spread rapidly.
Coastguard and firefighting vessels have been dispatched to the island, with authorities putting contingency plans in place for potential evacuations by sea from threatened coastal zones.
Salamina had been placed under a high-risk wildfire warning on Sunday prior to the outbreak.
The precise cause of the inferno remains under investigation and has not yet been determined.
These latest blazes occurred just days after tourists and local residents were forced to flee villages in northern Greece's Halkidiki region, where strong winds fanned a wildfire that consumed homes and trees near a popular resort.