Karystos: fire at Komito with aircraft in action

A forest fire broke out at around 13:00 on Tuesday 18 August 2026 at Komito in Karystos, in southern Evia, mobilising ground and air forces of the Fire Service. The two sources that reported the incident give slightly different figures for the forces deployed: lawandorder.gr, at 13:40, reports 25 firefighters and eight vehicles, while protothema.gr, at 13:24 and on the basis of a Fire Service post, speaks of 29 firefighters and ten vehicles. The discrepancy is most likely due to the gradual reinforcement of the forces rather than to contradictory information. Both sources agree that a foot patrol team of the 20th Special Forest Operations Unit is at the scene. The operation unfolded at a time of high temperatures and low relative humidity.

Four aircraft and one helicopter are assisting from the air. The Fire Service post adds the participation of volunteer firefighters and the assistance of water tankers from local government, a practice systematically applied in areas where transporting water requires long journeys. Neither text makes any reference to a danger to homes, to the evacuation of settlements or to a message being sent by 112. The incident remained active in the afternoon, with reports recorded at 14:07 and 14:16 in other media, without any further official update on the progress of the firefighting effort.

The wider area was that day in category 3 of the Daily Fire Risk Prediction Map, that is, at high risk. Southern Evia combines strong northerly winds, dry vegetation and sharp relief, features that make it difficult for ground forces to approach and speed up the spread of the front. For that reason, deploying air support immediately in the early stages is standard practice in the area, since a fire that escapes the first attempt at control is extremely difficult to check. That combination has led in the past to long-lasting fires in Karystos and Kafireas.

The Evia investigative unit for arson crimes has been mobilised to look into the causes. That step is routine in any forest fire that mobilises significant forces and does not prejudge how the cause will be classified. Evia has recorded a series of incidents this year, and the island remains among the areas with the largest expanse of burnt forest of the past decade. The Fire Service reminds the public that anyone who becomes aware of a fire should immediately call 199, while during the fire season any use of fire in open spaces is prohibited. More incidents in the Fire section.