Copernicus: Fires Burning in Evros Largest Ever Recorded in the EU

The massive fire burning woodland for days in Northeastern Greece is the largest ever recorded in the European Union, said Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization this week.

According to satellite images released by Copernicus, an Earth observation component of the EU Space Program managed by the European Commission, the uncontained wildfire in the East Macedonia and Thrace Region has so far burnt 72,344 hectares of woodland, “the largest recorded on European soil in years”, it said.

The Alexandroupolis wildfires 🔥🇬🇷 are now the largest wildfires in the EU on record.

Here’s an update on the situation and the EU-coordinated emergency response. ⬇️#EUCivilProtection #rescEU pic.twitter.com/OvlnVa81kY

— EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid 🇪🇺 (@eu_echo) August 24, 2023

At the same time, according to the National Observatory of Athens (EAA) weather service provider Meteo, the Evros fire is the largest recorded in the country over the last 20 years.

Citing the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Meteo analysts said that through to August 23, forest fires in Greece have burnt more than 120,000 hectares of forest land, three times more than the average annual fire toll in the 2006-2022 period.

Meanwhile, according to Greece’s Civil Protection Ministry, the fire on Mt Parnitha near Athens has been brought under control after winds died down.

On Friday, fire fighters are still battling blazes in  Viotia, central Greece and in Evros, at the forest of Dadia, Alexandroupolis, and Rodopi, where flare-ups are keeping several fronts active.

France is among the countries that sent firefighters to assist Greek services with extinguishing the flames in Evia and in the suburbs of Athens. Photo source: Embassy of France in Greece

According to Friday’s Fire Risk Map released by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, the very high risk for fire (category 4) remains in place for Attica, which includes the wider Athens area, and Central Greece, which includes Evia island.

The death toll as a result of fires in Greece over the past week has now reached 27.

*In case of fire you are advised to call the 112 emergency hotline.