August 15 holiday: fire risk in 10 regions

Very high, category 4 wildfire risk is forecast for Saturday, August 15 in ten regions of the country, according to the Daily Fire Risk Forecast Map of the Civil Protection General Secretariat. The high index covers Attica together with Kythira, Corinthia, Argolis and Laconia, Achaia and Ilia, Boeotia, Phthiotis and Evia together with Skyros, the Sporades, the North Aegean, the South Aegean, Crete, Halkidiki together with Mount Athos, as well as Kavala, Thassos, Xanthi, Rhodope and Evros together with Samothrace. Regions, municipalities and services were placed on heightened alert.

The forecast follows the warning for Friday, August 14, when the risk had reached the top of the scale, category 5, a state of alarm, for Attica, Central Greece and the Peloponnese. A general Fire Service alert with aerial patrols had been declared for that day. Authorities recommend a ban on burning fields and crop residue, avoiding the use of angle grinders and welding equipment, a ban on outdoor barbecues and bee-smoking, and care with lit cigarettes. The fire-reporting phone number is 199.

In Halkidiki, deputy regional governor Yannis Koufidis issued a decision banning pedestrian and vehicle access to forest areas in four municipalities, in effect from 08:00 Saturday to 08:00 Sunday, August 16. In the Municipality of Kassandra, the measure covers the ‘Korifogrammi’ ridge between Kassandrino and Agia Paraskevi and the ‘Arapis’ and ‘Chalkovouni’ areas of Paliouri. In Sithonia it includes the Dragoundeli ridge and the route between the Beekeepers’ Cooperative and Sykia. In the Municipality of Aristotelis the measure covers the Komitsa–Ouranoupoli, Tsamia Stratonikis, Fysoka and Stratoni Shooting Range areas, while in Polygyros it covers the Cholomontas mountain range, the Vrastama reforestation areas and the Taxiarchis University Forest. Bans of this kind are issued at the regional-unit level and vary from area to area, which is why visitors are urged to check local announcements before any trip to a forest area.

Checks will be carried out at the entrances to forest roads with the assistance of the Hellenic Police, while volunteer fire-protection organisations are exempt. Violators face an administrative fine of 300 euros. The decision was taken just days after the Sivyri wildfire, which explains the strictness of the measures in that regional unit. The August 15 holiday traditionally combines the peak concentration of people in the countryside with outdoor events, which multiplies sources of ignition. More on the Fires page. The civil protection mechanism maintains aerial patrols over areas with a history of wildfires, so detection happens within the first minutes, while suppression is still feasible with limited forces.