A large-scale wildfire has erupted in the Ano Souli area of Marathon, prompting a significant response from the Greek Fire Department and an urgent evacuation alert for residents.
The blaze, which broke out in a dense forest area, quickly escalated, leading to the deployment of substantial ground and air resources. Currently, 90 firefighters are battling the flames with 20 vehicles and 3 specialized ground teams (groups of hikers). Air support is crucial, with 5 aircraft and 2 helicopters conducting water drops from above.
The escalating danger led to two emergency alerts via the 112 European emergency number. The first, sent shortly before 2:00 PM local time, advised residents in the area to remain on high alert.
Just after 2:10, a second, more urgent message was issued, instructing residents: “If you are in the Ano Souli area, move away towards Grammatiko and if you are in the Marathon area, move away towards Nea Makri.”
Due to the rapid spread of the fire, vehicle traffic has been interrupted on Monastiriou Street, specifically from Grammatikou Avenue up to Ano Souli. Authorities urge all citizens to follow evacuation instructions and remain vigilant as firefighting efforts continue.
The wildfire near Marathon may be the most serious of the fire season in the Attica region.
Wildfires have been devastating Greece in recent years. In 2021, more than 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometers) were destroyed. In 2023, damage from wildfire surged to 675 square miles (1,745 square kilometers)—roughly three times the 2011-2020 average, according to data from the European Union’s Forest Fire Information System.
In 2023, one of Europe’s largest wildfires on record also burned for weeks in northern Greece, killing at least twenty people.
Last month, Greece conducted a massive exercise to test the country’s evolving wildfire response, which increasingly relies on more firefighters and advanced technologies such as drone surveillance.
Firefighters, rescuers, and army personnel stood ready to battle an encroaching fire near a summer camp by the seaside town of Lavrio, 43 miles (70 km) south of Athens, with jets skimming treetops and releasing water in coordinated low-altitude drops.
Commanders on the ground huddled over tablets streaming real-time drone footage while firetrucks raced to the scene. The Coast Guard also took part in a drill simulating the evacuation of a children’s summer camp threatened by fires on multiple fronts.
Authorities described the drill’s conditions as “realistic”—hot and windy after weeks of drought. Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefaloyiannis said 18,000 permanent and seasonal personnel, backed by thousands of volunteers, would be mobilized this year. “The conditions this year will be particularly difficult,” he told reporters who were attending the firefighting exercise.
