High fire risk across many areas on Sunday

The General Secretariat for Civil Protection, in cooperation with the National Meteorological Service, issued a high fire-risk warning (category 3, yellow alert) for Sunday, 6 September 2026, covering large parts of the country. Temperatures are expected to reach up to 37 degrees Celsius, with the highest values recorded in Attica, Thessaloniki, Epirus and western and eastern Peloponnese, while in several other regions temperature is expected to touch 36 degrees. At the time of the announcement, Athens was at 29 degrees, a value noticeably lower than the peaks expected elsewhere in the country that same afternoon.

According to the announcement, the new temperature rise combined with strong northern winds creates favourable conditions for fire to break out and spread rapidly. The areas listed under yellow alert include, among others, Attica, Euboea, Boeotia, Phthiotis, Phocis, Magnesia, Larissa, Argolida, Corinthia, Achaea, Elia, Aetolia-Acarnania, Arta, Preveza, Thesprotia, Ioannina, Thessaloniki, Chalkidiki, Kilkis, Serres, Kavala, Rhodope, Evros, Crete, the Ionian Islands and the islands of the North and South Aegean—that is, as stated in the announcement, a broad spectrum of areas from northern mainland to the Aegean and Ionian islands. The warning comes one day after the Saturday weather forecast of up to 36°C and Red Code in six areas and fires in Patras and Lesbos on Saturday, 5 September 2026, in a week marked by successive high fire-risk warnings.

Civil Protection estimates that fire-weather conditions will remain unfavourable for approximately ten days, meaning sustained alert for fire-fighting mechanisms across the country and not just isolated warning for a single weekend. The announcement reiterates that approximately nine in ten fires are caused by negligence, and so particular care is urged in activities such as burning debris, use of machinery that produces sparks, and discarding lit cigarette butts in forests and agricultural areas. Citizens are urged to notify immediately the Fire Service at 199 or 112, the unified European emergency number, as soon as they spot a fire source, so that intervention can occur as early as possible.

Given that the ten-day period of heightened risk is just beginning, the authorities are expected to update the risk map daily according to weather conditions, while the list of alert areas is not ruled out from expanding over the coming days. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection notes that the situation will be closely monitored, with particular emphasis on areas already affected by fires in recent times, such as Patras and Lesbos. Until further notice, outdoor work involving fire is recommended to be avoided and increased vigilance is advised in forest and agricultural areas, especially during peak temperature hours, as wind and drought conditions remain unstable.