A deadly wildfire that tore through Eastern Attica on Friday has left one person dead, thousands of hectares scorched, and communities reeling from the destruction. The blaze, which erupted near Keratea and spread rapidly toward Anavyssos, destroyed homes, consumed farmland, and burned approximately 16,000 stremmas (1,600 hectares) of grassland and forest.
(ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ/EUROKINISSI)
Beyond the harrowing images captured on the ground, satellite data from the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service has laid bare the full scale of the disaster.
Analysis up to 12:19 p.m. on Saturday, August 9, shows an estimated 15,808 stremmas (1,581 hectares or roughly 3,900 acres) burned in areas between Keratea and Anavyssos. In Copernicus imagery, the affected zone is marked in yellow, alongside burn scars from a previous wildfire in nearby Thymari, southern Attica.
A Night of Firefighting Battles
The fire broke out on August 8, around 2pm, fanned by strong winds, and quickly surged through a five-kilometer front. Hundreds of firefighters fought through the night, supported by water-bombing aircraft that flew with lights on to maintain visibility amid thick black smoke.
By 2:00 a.m., the fire front in Triantafyllia was in decline, and conditions in Thymari improved by 4:30 a.m. But flare-ups persisted, and at 5:30 a.m. a major rekindling sparked a new active front.
Police reported 385 rescues of civilians trapped by the advancing flames by 6:30 a.m.
Investigation and Arrests
Authorities believe the fire was caused by a severed power line. According to preliminary findings, a high-voltage cable detached from a PPC utility pole, fell to the ground, and ignited dry grass. Strong winds then drove the fire deep into forested areas.
(ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ/EUROKINISSI)
Two executives of the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE), aged 58 and 33, have been arrested in connection with the incident. Police say eyewitness accounts and security camera footage appear to confirm that the blaze originated from the fallen cable. A third DEDDIE employee is reportedly being sought.
The country remains on high alert today amid extreme heat and gale-force winds.
