Wildfires on Salamina Island Claim Two Lives and Trigger Mass Evacuation

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:16:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A rapid fire outbreak on Salamina near Athens has left two dead, 90 people evacuated and 200 firefighters battling high winds.

Firefighters on Salamina island were attacked by two simultaneous blazes that rapidly expanded under fierce winds, claiming two lives and prompting large-scale evacuation. Roughly 90 residents were rescued by sea while five coastguard patrol boats and private vessels assisted. The fire brigade deployed 50 engines and numerous aircraft to contain the blazes and prevent them from merging over the island’s steep slopes. Salamina’s deputy mayor warned of the danger of a single large wildfire. The incident reflects broader European wildfire challenges amid rising summer temperatures.

Wildfires on Salamina Island Claim Two Lives and Trigger Mass Evacuation

Two people have died and an evacuation is underway after two fires broke out within minutes of each other on a Greek island near Athens.

Smoke rises in Salamina during wildfire, seen from Agistri island. Source: Reuters

Fire officials said nearly 200 firefighters were working to extinguish the flames on the island of Salamina and keep them from converging, Greek media report.

Firefighters first reported the blaze at 14:40 local time (12:40 GMT) and the flames spread rapidly due to high winds, officials on the island noted.

Some 90 people have so far been evacuated by sea, a coastguard spokesman told Greek broadcaster ERT.

Five patrol boats have been sent to the area and several private vessels are being made available for assistance. A number of aircraft and 50 fire engines have been deployed to the blaze.

Salamina Deputy Mayor Thodoris Zannis said firefighters were attempting to prevent the fires from merging into a single major blaze over the island’s mountain terrain.

Salamina sits just west of Athens and has roughly 37,000 residents, many of them elderly. Firefighters across Europe have faced a series of wildfires this weekend, fueled by high heat.