One person has died during the big forest fire raging in Derveni close to Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on Tuesday, while a woman with serious burn injuries has been rushed to the hospital.
Residents have received multiple messages via emergency <112> to be ready to evacuate as the flames are threatening houses in the village of Liti.
A large force of the Fire Department is at the scene, trying to bring the blaze under control.
The fire broke out in low vegetation in Derveni, Municipality of Oreokastro, Thessaloniki, at 14:30 early afternoon on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. It spread quickly to a forest area and is currently located near a residential area.
At 15:40 the first alert message via <112> urged the residents to be on readiness. A second message was sent an hour later to the residents of the village of Liti urging them to evacuate to the stadium of the village.
One dead, one heavy injured
During the blaze fighting operation, firefighters found the body of a man in the burning forest area on the border with the settlement of Liti. No identification yet.
Firefighters rescued a woman in her 40’s who was trying to extinguish the fire in the yard of her home. They transported her to a safe location and from there she was picked up by an ambulance and transported to Ippokrateio Hospital in Thessaloniki with burns in the hands, thighs and the face.
EKAB and Hellenic Police forces have been deployed throughout the perimeter of the fire.
According to the deputy mayor of the municipality, the fire started on the backside of the mountain and, due to strong winds, spread at great speed, passing through the forest above the settlement.
However, the constant changes in the intensity and direction of the winds are significantly hampering the firefighting effort. “The wind is very strong and it’s blowing. The fire has reached the village, a few meters from the houses,” said the deputy mayor, adding that the flames passed close to houses.
A total of 115 firefighters with 3 forest commando teams, 36 engines and teams of volunteers are currently operating in the area, while 10 water-dropping aircraft and 3 helicopters have been allocated for aerial firefighting assistance and are operating periodically.
sources; thestival.gr, parallaximag.gr, cnngreece & others
