Salamis island fires leave two dead and prompt evacuations
Two separate fires broke out on the Greek island of Salamis on Sunday, resulting in two fatalities and triggering emergency evacuations by land and sea.
Tragedy struck the Greek island of Salamis on Sunday when two separate fires broke out almost simultaneously, leaving two people dead and triggering frantic evacuations. The blazes erupted in popular bathing areas on the island’s south and east, forcing the civil protection ministry to issue four evacuation orders in rapid succession according to the fire service.
According to Bbc reporting, the first fire was reported shortly before mid-afternoon on Sunday, specifically noted at 14:40 local time (12:40 GMT). High winds whipped the flames through dry pine forest and bush, causing the disaster to escalate rapidly while the island was under a high wildfire risk. The Straits Times noted that fire department officials recovered two bodies from the Peristeria beach area in the south of the island. At least nine other people required medical treatment for burns, state agency ANA reported.
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Emergency responders mobilized a massive counter-offensive. Fire officials stated that nearly 200 firefighters, backed by roughly 50 fire engines, aircraft, and helicopters, rushed in reinforcements from the mainland. Salamina Deputy Mayor Thodoris Zannis explained that crews desperately worked to keep the two blazes from scaling a mountain and merging into one catastrophic wildfire. Meanwhile, the island’s residents—numbering around 37,000, a significant portion of whom are elderly—faced severe disruption as the fires tore through inhabited areas where beaches were full of people.
Evacuation efforts involved both land and sea routes. The civil protection ministry kept certain roads open under police guidance, while the coast guard dispatched five patrol boats. Private vessels and local ferries also assisted in the rescue operation, alongside two fire service vessels. A coastguard spokesman confirmed that approximately 90 people were evacuated safely by sea.
The disaster on Salamis unfolded as emergency personnel across Europe battled a series of weekend wildfires driven by intense summer heat. Greece has faced several major blazes since late July, compounded by unusually strong winds, following a period where the country had largely escaped the extreme temperatures seen earlier in the summer. Officials noted that thirty-four fires had broken out over the previous 24 hours around the country, adding to a toll that included previous losses such as a Danish pilot killed in a mid-air collision between two Bell helicopters while battling a blaze near Athens earlier in August. Experts point to human-driven climate change as a compounding factor making droughts and extreme weather events increasingly severe.
Emergency Response Summary
- Casualties: Two dead, with nine individuals treated for burns.
- Evacuations: Hundreds evacuated by land and sea, including about 90 people rescued via coastguard and private vessels.
- Resources Deployed: Nearly 200 firefighters, approximately 50 fire engines, multiple aircraft and helicopters, five coastguard patrol boats, two fire service vessels, and local ferries.
- Impacted Areas: Peristeria and Selinia on the island of Salamis.
As crews continued containment efforts, attention shifted toward the weather forecast. Authorities anticipated that the fierce winds driving the flames would begin to ease later on Sunday, aiding firefighting operations across the island. Further updates on the containment of the twin fires and the ongoing recovery efforts are expected as local officials assess the full extent of the damage.
