Firefighters in Greece have gained ground against a wildfire burning for a fifth consecutive day near the coastal village of Psatha, about 60 kilometres northwest of Athens. Easing winds allowed more than 30 water-bombing aircraft to join 575 firefighters combating the blaze on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, the fire service reported.

Despite improvements, fire department communications chief Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told AFP that many scattered hotspots remain, requiring continued vigilance to prevent flare-ups. Large areas of scorched land still conceal active and smouldering pockets that could reignite if winds increase.

The greater Athens region, along with neighbouring Evia and several Aegean islands including Chios and Lesbos, has been placed under near-maximum fire risk for Wednesday, August 5th, according to the civil protection ministry. National Observatory research director Kostas Lagouvardos warned on ERT that temperatures are expected to rise during the week, urging caution until August 20-25.

Other fires across Greece, such as one on the Ionian island of Cephalonia, have largely been contained. The observatory noted that winds at the end of July were the strongest recorded in 15 years, with the Porto Germeno fire alone scorching more than 13,000 hectares of forest and farmland.

One source described the current crisis as "definitely one of the worst fire crises I've seen in the past, maybe eight to 10 years," highlighting the scale and severity of the situation.

Sources