Wildfire rages on Paros as settlements are evacuated and seven aircraft join battle

A wildfire that broke out on Tuesday afternoon near Kampi, close to the landfill site on the Greek island of Paros, remained out of control on Wednesday morning, with flames continuing to spread across the southern part of the island.

In the early hours of Wednesday, July 29, the fire passed through the area of Agkairia and moved towards Trypiti, raising concern among residents and local authorities.

Paros Mayor Konstantinos Bizas told public broadcaster ERT that conditions remained difficult.

Deputy mayor for civil protection Charalambos Giourtzidis said the fire had been partly contained on the side of Faragas and Trypiti, although the extent of any damage to homes in the area was not yet clear.

He added that firefighters were dealing with flare-ups and that low vegetation continued to burn.

 

Ten settlements evacuated

A total of ten settlements have been evacuated following four successive alerts issued through Greece’s 112 emergency warning system.

Shortly after 1:30 a.m., residents of Agkairia were instructed to leave their homes and head towards Alyki beach for safety.

At 2:15 a.m., a second alert ordered residents of Trypiti, Aspro Chorio, Glyfa and Pyrgaki to evacuate towards Drios.

Earlier on Tuesday, evacuation orders had already been issued for Agios Charalambos, Kampi, Bougados, Aneratza and Kamari.

The fire had previously reached the areas of Aneratza and Kamari, prompting authorities to reinforce firefighting crews.

Residents of five settlements were initially ordered to leave their homes and move towards Alyki as the blaze spread rapidly through dry scrubland under strong winds.

 

Firefighting operation reinforced

A large-scale operation is under way, with 66 firefighters, four forest commando teams from the 1st Special Forest Operations Unit and 16 fire engines deployed on the island.

Ground forces have been reinforced with personnel and equipment transferred from Syros, Naxos, Athens, Megara and Elefsina.

At first light, aerial firefighting operations also began, with five helicopters and two aircraft deployed against the blaze.

Volunteers are assisting the operation, while the Municipality of Paros has provided two water tankers and one piece of heavy machinery.

Operational coordination has been assigned to the deputy chief of the Hellenic Fire Service.

A further 20 firefighters and eight fire engines are expected to arrive by ferry from Rafina as efforts continue to strengthen the ground response.

Stronger winds raise concern

Authorities remain on high alert as winds are expected to strengthen during the day, increasing the risk of further flare-ups and making containment efforts more difficult.

Paros has been placed in category 3, or high risk, on Greece’s wildfire danger map for Wednesday.

Strong winds are also forecast across the Cyclades, while fire crews and local authorities are expected to remain on heightened alert until the blaze is brought under control.