Two people were found dead and more than 500 residents were evacuated by sea after two separate fires broke out within minutes of each other on the Greek island of Salamina, located just west of Athens, on Sunday. The blazes, which ignited in the southern Peristeria area and the eastern town of Selinia, prompted a large-scale emergency response involving around 200 firefighters, 50 fire engines, aircraft, and patrol boats.
Fires Ignite Minutes Apart, Claiming Two Lives
Fire official Vasilios Vathrakoyannis confirmed that the first fire started at approximately 14:40 local time (11:40 GMT) in Peristeria, where residential buildings sit alongside forested land. A second fire followed about 20 minutes later in Selinia. Firefighters who arrived at the scene of the first blaze discovered two bodies. The cause of both fires has not yet been established.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiades said at least 10 people were treated for burns or smoke inhalation, with five receiving care locally. The island's population of roughly 37,000, many of whom are elderly, made the rapid evacuation particularly critical.
Evacuation by Sea and Coordinated Firefighting Effort
Five patrol boats were dispatched to the area, and several private vessels were also made available to assist with sea evacuations. According to BBC, authorities deployed a number of aircraft and 50 fire engines, supported by water tankers and construction machinery. Salamina Deputy Mayor Thodoris Zannis said the priority for firefighters was preventing the two fires from crossing the island's central mountain range and merging into a single, far more dangerous blaze. Around 200 firefighters were working on that effort as the island remained under a high wildfire risk rating.
Wildfires Across Europe This Weekend
The crisis on Salamina is part of a wider pattern of destructive wildfires hitting Europe this weekend. In Belgium, firefighters spent a third consecutive day battling flames in Hautes Fagnes, the country's largest nature reserve. The fire has more than doubled in size within 24 hours and has been described as the largest in Belgium's recent history.
In Croatia, at least one person died and dozens were injured after a wildfire swept through the country's coastline overnight on Friday. Croatia's fire chief Slavko Tucakovic called it "one of the worst" blazes the country had seen, with around 1,200 residents and tourists evacuated from affected areas.
The twin fires on Salamina resulted in two confirmed deaths, at least 10 injuries, and the evacuation of over 500 residents by sea. The cause of the fires remains under investigation, and firefighting efforts continue to prevent the blazes from merging.
