Wednesday, July 1 – A wildfire broke out yesterday at noon in low vegetation in Derveni, a town approximately ten kilometres north-east of Thessaloniki. The fire spread quickly to a forested area, due to high winds, and reached near the outlying houses of the small town of Liti in the Municipality of Oreokastro.

Sadly, two people lost their lives in Derveni, a 65-year-old father and his 12-year-old son; the 42-year-old mother sustained burns and was transferred to Thessaloniki Hospital in a serious but stable condition. It is believed the family did not immediately evacuate as the fire spread, but stayed to try to protect their property from the flames.

The fire is continuing to burn, but at present does not have an active front. A total of 115 firefighters, three forest commando teams, 36 fire engines, and volunteers have been working in the area. Ten aircraft and three helicopters continued to drop water from the air until nightfall on Tuesday.

Two emergency messages were issued yesterday, June 30. The first was sent at 15:40, informing residents of the fire in the area, while the second, at 16:40, urged those in the settlement of Liti to evacuate immediately to the local stadium.

The region was under a high wildfire risk warning, with dry conditions and high winds making it harder to contain the fire and causing repeated flare-ups. Strong Meltemi winds continue today to hamper the ongoing firefighting efforts.