Wildfires in Greece force evacuations and kill two near Thessaloniki

Wildfires are burning across several parts of Greece, with the most serious damage reported near the northern city of Thessaloniki and in the central region of Fthiotida. Two people have died in the blaze near Thessaloniki, while authorities have urged residents in two villages in central Greece to leave their homes as firefighters battle another front. The fires are part of a wider outbreak that also saw other blazes break out in northern, central and southern parts of the country on Wednesday.

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Firefighters said the dead in the northern fire were a father and his 12-year-old son. The boy's body was found inside a home destroyed by the fire, while his father's body was found outside the property the previous day. The boy's mother is being treated for burns in hospital.

The fire broke out in bushland about 25 kilometres from Thessaloniki, before spreading through woodland near the city. In central Greece, the fire department said Wednesday's blaze was burning through forest and agricultural land in Fthiotida. Nineteen water-dropping planes, six helicopters and 135 firefighters were deployed, supported by volunteers and special forest fire units.

Officials also said residents in two villages were being urged to evacuate as the fire remained active. Three other wildfires that broke out on Wednesday, including in Halkidiki, on Salamina island near Athens and in southern Greece, were reported to have been quickly contained. The fires come during Greece's hot, dry summer season, when wildfires are common and can spread rapidly through forest and agricultural land.

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The timing is notable because much of western Europe has recently been hit by severe heat, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the continent at the end of June. Greece has so far been spared the worst of those heatwaves, but the country remains highly exposed to fire risk because of its climate and terrain. The northern fire has already caused fatalities and serious injury, while the central blaze has prompted a large aerial and ground response.

The scale of the response suggests authorities are treating the situation as a significant emergency, even as some of the other fires were brought under control. The separate outbreaks also show how quickly conditions can change across different regions in a single day. What remains unclear is whether the central fire in Fthiotida will be contained without further evacuations or damage.

It is also not yet clear how many homes or other properties have been affected in the northern fire near Thessaloniki. Fire crews are expected to keep working on the active fronts, with officials likely to update the public as conditions change.

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