Two individuals, believed by authorities to be a couple, have died following intense wildfires that erupted on the Greek island of Salamina on Sunday. The tragedy occurred during the peak of the summer holiday season, coinciding with the August 15 Assumption holiday, a time when many residents from Athens travel to the nearby island located just west of the Piraeus port.
The Fire Department confirmed that five people have been transported to a local health clinic for injuries, while several houses have sustained damage from the encroaching flames. Emergency teams, including 192 firefighters, 14 aircraft and helicopters, as well as municipal water tankers and volunteer crews, have been deployed to combat the blaze. Strong winds are currently fueling the fire's rapid spread, complicating containment efforts.
Authorities have initiated evacuation operations for residents and visitors in the Kolones and Saterli areas. To assist in potential sea-based evacuations, the Coastguard and firefighting vessels have been stationed near the island’s threatened coastal zones. Salamina was under a high wildfire risk warning at the time the fires began, though the official cause of the incident remains under investigation.
This event follows recent wildfire activity in northern Greece, where residents and tourists were forced to flee from villages in the Halkidiki region after fires engulfed homes and trees near a local resort. The incident on Salamina is part of a broader trend across Europe, where consecutive heatwaves have left vegetation tinder-dry, severely straining water supplies and contributing to unprecedented land destruction in countries including Spain, France, and Greece.
