This text follows our earlier overview of the Greek season Holiday in Greece: state of alert near Athens and Lesbos, which we closed after five updates.
On Monday, the second fatal aviation accident of the season was added: on Sifnos, a private helicopter crashed and both the pilot and a British newlywed couple were killed. Firefighters responded to 41 fires in a single day, investigators in Salamis are speaking of negligence, and in Troizina a suspect in ten arson attacks was detained. The wind is weakening, but the temperature is rising.
Skyros: second night with fire, two settlements evacuated
- The season is not over: on Tuesday afternoon, new fires broke out in Thebes, western Attica and Kilkis. Three firefighting aircraft were launched over Thebes, and the fire near Kilkis was brought under control. To Vima ↗Naftemporiki ↗Naftemporiki ↗
- The fire near Tanagra on the Athens-Lamia highway is under control. Naftemporiki ↗
- The claim from the previous update about an ageing power grid has had an outside sequel: Bulgaria is checking the Greek grid because of the major forest fires. 24 Chasa ↗
- Firefighters responded to 41 agricultural and forest fires in 24 hours. Fines were issued on Ithaca, in Katerini and in Kavala. Protothema ↗
- A new front broke out in forested land near Karpenisi, and another in Xiromero in Aetolia-Acarnania; the fire in Pigadakia in Arcadia was brought under control, with two aircraft deployed there as well. Naftemporiki ↗To Vima ↗Protothema ↗
- According to investigators, signs of negligence lie behind the large fire on Salamis - an elderly woman and a candle. Inspections and damage assessments have meanwhile begun on the island, and the first aid payments are expected immediately. Protothema ↗Protothema ↗
- In Troizina, a 40-year-old man was detained for deliberate arson, and police are investigating his involvement in nine additional arson attacks. Naftemporiki ↗Protothema ↗
- Survivors of the collision between two firefighting helicopters in Psathe testified: "We didn't see it, we thought we had hit a cable." Protothema ↗
- Inspections have begun on Salamis, and the investigation is focusing on a resident's report. It concerns the same uncleared plot that was the "ground zero" - now officials are examining who received the report and what was done with it Protothema ↗
- The day after the firestorm, Greeks published the first images of burned Salamis and placed the causes of the double fire "under the microscope". Investigators still cannot explain how the second front started Naftemporiki ↗
- The fire in Kritsa on Crete, which we mentioned in the first update, is fully under control. Naftemporiki ↗
- The fire at the plastic factory near Larissa has no active hotspots, but firefighters remain on site. Protothema ↗
- Serbian firefighters are on standby for Greece and Montenegro - regional media are following where the fire will spread next N1 Serbia ↗
- Salamis near Athens: an elderly couple died, ten people were injured. The fire has no single front; it is burning in scattered hotspots and houses have also burned down Protothema ↗.
- 593 people were evacuated by sea from the burning areas of Salamis. Protothema ↗
- "Ground zero" was a plot with accumulated waste. The report about the uncleared plot is being examined, as is how the second front started Naftemporiki ↗Protothema ↗.
- Drone footage shows the fire spread through the settlement of Peristeria in seven minutes. Protothema ↗
- Naftemporiki writes about suspicion of arson and the condition of the burned victims. Naftemporiki ↗Naftemporiki ↗
- Road traffic on Salamis has been restored. Naftemporiki ↗
- According to Copernicus, more than 3,600 hectares have burned on Skyros, and hotspots remain scattered. Protothema ↗To Vima ↗
- The picture on the Skyros front has improved, and the mayor speaks of arson. Naftemporiki ↗
- Kalymnos has no active front. The mayor reminds that this is the fourth fire at the same location this year. Naftemporiki ↗Protothema ↗
- A fire broke out on Crete in Kritsa, in Lasithi, and firefighters brought it under control. Naftemporiki ↗Protothema ↗
- Mesolongi has no active front, and a field fire near Lefke was also extinguished. Naftemporiki ↗Protothema ↗
- The Air Tractor firefighting aircraft had to make an emergency landing in the sea near Astakos; the pilot is safe. Naftemporiki ↗Protothema ↗
- In Penteli, thirteen-year-olds were found playing with fire in the forest for a social-media challenge. Protothema ↗
The fire broke out on Saturday around four in the afternoon in woodland near Atsitsa in the northwest of the island and burned through the whole night. Naftemporiki ↗ The Fire Service deployed 89 firefighters in six teams with 21 vehicles, sent an evacuation warning for two settlements via the 112 system and activated the European satellite service Copernicus. Protothema ↗
On Sunday morning, the fight continued with four aircraft and two helicopters, and the main front remained in the northeast of the island. Protothema ↗ Around half past eight in the morning, firefighters reinforced the air assets further. Naftemporiki ↗
The focus of the response shifted to the settlement of Pefko, with reinforcements arriving from Attica, Euboea and Thessaly. To Vima ↗ Firefighters are being hampered by two things at once - winds stronger than seven on the Beaufort scale and the island's rugged terrain, which prevents equipment from reaching the fire.
What it means for you: Skyros is an island in the Aegean Sea with ferry connections from Kymi on Euboea. If you are heading there, follow 112 alerts and do not assume a fire in inaccessible terrain will burn out overnight.
Andros and Samothrace: two fires that went out quickly
At eight on Sunday morning, a fire started on Andros in the Cyclades, in the agricultural and forested area of Kato Aprovatos. Fourteen minutes later, people in the area received a 112 alert, and a helicopter took off. To Vima ↗An hour later, firefighters were already reporting that the fire had no active front. Naftemporiki ↗ The head of the firefighters' officers' union clarified why it moved so quickly: low vegetation and kermes oak burned, not mature forest. Protothema ↗
The Saturday fire on the North Aegean island of Samothrace in the Xiropotamos area ended similarly, with one helicopter and three aircraft deployed To Vima ↗ and no active front by evening. Protothema ↗ The same was true for the hotspots in Corinthia - Perachora and Vamvakes. Protothema ↗
A barbecue on Crete ended in an arrest
- In Kavala, an eighty-year-old man was arrested for deliberate arson. He admitted that he set dry grass on fire and is being taken to the prosecutor. It shows that the authorities are prosecuting even cases where there was no large-scale fire Protothema ↗
Fire investigators detained a 35-year-old Israeli man over the fire that broke out on 14 August in southern Rethymno, in the Plakias area. According to them, he lit a barbecue while the region was under fire risk level four. Naftemporiki ↗ Protothema ↗
What it means for you: barbecues, campfires and burning vegetation are prohibited when the risk level is very high, and they can lead to fines and criminal prosecution, especially if a fire starts from them - even if you light it on private land or on accommodation property. The risk level for the current day is published by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection and changes every day.
Meltemi: gusts above 100 km/h and Red Code in seven areas
- The wind is easing, but the temperature is rising - and so is the fire risk. On Tuesday, a yellow fire alert is in force for Attica, Central Greece, the northern Peloponnese and Evros; today it is 37 degrees and from Thursday there will be another increase. To Vima ↗To Vima ↗Protothema ↗
- The Wall Street Journal described how the dream of island hopping is turning into an odyssey. The piece looks at what meltemi does to ferries and passengers' stomachs - exactly the thing anyone planning to hop between islands has to deal with (Protothema ↗)
- On Salamis, firefighters fought through the night against re-igniting hotspots. The toll settled at two dead and nine burned To Vima ↗.
- A map of twenty areas with the highest fire risk was issued for Monday. Meltemi is weakening, but temperatures are rising with it, so the risk is shifting from wind to heat To Vima ↗Protothema ↗.
- The fire near Athens made international news as a holidaymaker safety story. Romania's Libertatea writes about hundreds of evacuated tourists, while Sweden's SVT and France's RFI report two victims Libertatea ↗SVT ↗RFI ↗.
- The wind is expected to ease from Monday and temperatures to rise. Naftemporiki ↗
- In Mani, a storm dropped ten times more water in four hours than fell during the whole of August. Protothema ↗
The northern summer wind meltemi reached gusts above one hundred kilometers per hour on Saturday in Attica, Euboea and Tinos. Protothema ↗ On Sunday morning, strong wind persisted and Red Code was in force in seven areas because of the fire risk. Protothema ↗ Red Code is a heightened state of readiness for emergency services - do not confuse it with the five-level fire risk map that civil protection publishes separately for each day.
According to the forecast of the Greek meteorological service EMY, the wind is expected to ease from Monday and temperatures to fall from Wednesday. To Vima ↗
What it means for you: in this strength, meltemi primarily disrupts smaller ferries and catamarans in the Cyclades. If you have a connection on Sunday or Monday, assume it may be canceled, and do not book a connecting flight for the same day.
West Nile: EODY expects the peak of the season now
- Infectious-disease specialists are calling for immediate action against West Nile virus and are proposing twelve preventive measures. Protothema ↗
The Greek National Public Health Organization EODY has described this year's West Nile virus season as one of the toughest and warned that the peak is still ahead. Protothema ↗ To Vima ↗
It cites the warm winter of 2025-2026, which was the second warmest in Attica in the past 150 years and likely contributed to the current epidemiological situation. Greece is among the European countries carrying a significant burden from this virus again this year. Naftemporiki ↗
What it means for you: the virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and most infected people have no symptoms. Protection is simple: use repellent as instructed, wear long sleeves and trousers from dusk until morning, use window screens or a room with air conditioning, and remove standing water on the balcony or terrace. EODY publishes recommendations continuously.
The return after the 15 August holiday filled the ports
- Halkidiki has opened applications for state aid for businesses damaged by the fire in Siviri; the deadline is 12 October. Naftemporiki ↗
- Greek Airbnb prices this summer are above the rest of Europe. Protothema ↗
- At the same time, Greece is cleaning up short-term rentals - a "property code" is meant to end disputes between landlords and neighbors. Rzeczpospolita ↗
- The other side of the same coin: in Greece, every second resident cannot afford a holiday. Ouest-France calls it a "deep social problem" in a country that is a paradise for tourists Ouest-France ↗
- A driver was brutally beaten in Halkidiki. According to footage, he was attacked directly in the cab - a reminder that incidents in resorts need have nothing to do with the weather Kurir ↗
- The return of excursion boats after 15 August is slow, and problems are being reported on the Athens-Corinth highway near Megara. Protothema ↗
- In the Saronic Gulf, the coast guard rescued four Romanian tourists from a boat. Protothema ↗
The ban on departures from Rafina and Lavrio, which was in force through the Dormition holiday until one in the afternoon, has meanwhile ended. To Vima ↗ On Sunday, the last excursionists are returning and traffic is heavy in the Attica ports, with the coast guard on alert. Protothema ↗
The death of an Irish student highlights the risk of bathroom wiring
- After the helicopter crash on Sifnos, the authority ordered extraordinary inspections of all Bell 206 aircraft. The names of the victims were also published - according to Greek media, the pilot had "thousands of flight hours," which shifts the investigation from human error to the machine. To Vima ↗Naftemporiki ↗
- Six people were injured on Zakynthos when a tourist boat hit concrete blocks; the captain was detained. Protothema ↗
- On the Athens-Corinth highway, an 82-year-old driver who was going the wrong way was identified - her driving license had expired. Protothema ↗
- This is the final update wave for this article. The Greek season continues, and we will follow further developments - fires, meltemi and West Nile - in a separate text so that the overview remains readable.
- A private helicopter crashed on Sifnos, killing three people - the pilot and a British newlywed couple. Authorities are analyzing video from the final seconds before the crash, and the causes will be investigated by the Greek aviation authority. To Vima ↗Protothema ↗Protothema ↗La Libre ↗
- An ageing electrical grid is to blame for most Greek fires, Belgian 7sur7 writes - which, in this year's season, is the same kind of finding as in bathroom accidents: not the weather, but infrastructure. 7sur7 ↗
Seventeen-year-old Irishman Alex McKee died during a family holiday in Greece after being electrocuted in the shower. According to British media, a faulty shower installation may have been the cause. The Mirror ↗ Daily Mail ↗
According to their lawyer, the family is considering legal action. The Irish Times ↗ Irish Independent ↗
What it means for you: the cause is under investigation and no broad conclusion can be drawn from a single case. But the risk may be higher in older or poorly maintained accommodation, where the water heater is often located directly in the bathroom. If you feel even a slight electric tingle in the shower, do not keep showering and ask for a room change - it is not static electricity.
What hotinfo is following
- There are four things we continue to follow in the Greek season.
- Whether the fire on Skyros can be brought under control before the wind eases on Monday, and how much area burns in the end according to Copernicus satellite data.
- Whether civil protection keeps Red Code in place at the start of the working week, or lowers it once the meltemi weakens.
- When EODY expects the West Nile season to peak and whether more deaths follow. And finally, whether the case from Rethymno ends in charges — a signal of how strictly Greece is punishing tourists who start fires this year.
- The previous edition of this round-up, covering the situation near Athens, on Lesbos and on Zakynthos, is in the article [Holiday in Greece: a state of alert near Athens and on Lesbos](/clanok/dovolenka-v-grecku-stvrty-stupen-poziarneho-rizika-na-krete-meltemi-az-8-beaufor-1328029).
